Rhizothera is a bird genus in the family Phasianidae, native to Malaysia and Indonesia. They are the only genus in the tribe Rhizotherini.[1][2][3] Established by George Robert Gray in 1841, it contains the following species:[4]

Rhizothera
Long-billed partridge (Rhizothera longirostris)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Superfamily: Phasianoidea
Family: Phasianidae
Subfamily: Phasianinae
Genus: Rhizothera
G.R. Gray, 1841
Type species
Perdix longirostris
Species

Rhizothera longirostris
Rhizothera dulitensis

The name Rhizothera is constructed of two Greek words: rhiza, meaning "root" and thēras, meaning "hunter".[5]

Although their taxonomic relationships were formerly a mystery, with some taxonomists placing them with the more basal genera such as Arborophila and Xenoperdix that were formerly classified within the paraphyletic "Perdicinae" (this basal group is now known as Rollulinae), more recent phylogenetic studies place them as the sister group to the tribe Phasianini, which contains many well-known and widespread genera such as Perdix and Phasianus.[1][2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kimball, Rebecca T.; Hosner, Peter A.; Braun, Edward L. (2021-05-01). "A phylogenomic supermatrix of Galliformes (Landfowl) reveals biased branch lengths". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 158: 107091. Bibcode:2021MolPE.15807091K. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107091. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 33545275. S2CID 231963063.
  2. ^ a b "Galliformes". bird-phylogeny (in German). Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  3. ^ "Taxonomic Updates – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  4. ^ "ITIS Report: Rhizothera". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  5. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Names. London, UK: Christopher Helm. p. 334. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.