Chapter 3. Systematics of Fossil Quails and Allies (Coturnicini)

This chapter provides a systematic description of all confirmed or reliable finds of fossil coturnicines (Aves: Galliformes: Phasianidae: Coturnicini) from the Miocene to the Lower Pleistocene of Eurasia, as well as North Africa (Morocco). Previously published data are reviewed and newly described materials come from the Miocene to the Lower Pleistocene of Eastern Europe (Ukraine and European part of Russia) and Eastern Siberia (Baikal), as well as from the Upper Pliocene of Mongolia. The oldest member of the Coturnicini clade (Tologuica vetusta sp. nov.) is described from the uppermost Lower Miocene-lowermost Middle Miocene of Baikal area (Tagay locality). Members of the fossil genus Tologuica are present in the upper Middle Miocene of Mongolia and the fossil genus Palaeoperdix, which is here revised and transferred to Coturnicini, is known from the upper Middle Miocene of Europe (Palaeoperdix longipes Milne-Edwards, 1869 and Palaeoperdix grivensis (Ennouchi, 1930) comb. nov.). Plioperdix (“Palaeocryptonyx”) hungarica (Jánossý, 1991) from the Upper Miocene of Hungary is transferred to Palaeoperdix. Mioryaba magyarica Zelenkov, 2016 is shown to be similar to modern Perdicula. Several Upper Miocene through Lower Pleistocene coturnicine taxa are assigned to the fossil genera Chauvireria and Plioperdix, with several new species erected: Chauvireria egorovkensis sp. nov., Chauvireria axaina sp. nov., and Plioperdix boevi sp. nov. (all of them from the Upper Miocene of North Black Sea area). The Late Pliocene–Early Pleistocene taxon Plioperdix (“Francolinus”) capeki (Lambrecht, 1933) is transferred to Palaeocryptonyx, and the Late Pliocene taxa Palaeocryptonyx novaki Sánchez Marco, 2009 from Spain and Plioperdix africana Mourer-Chauriré & Geraads, 2010 from Morocco are transferred to a new genus, Marocortyx gen. nov., which is considered a morphologically transitional form between Alectoris and Margaroperdix. The new finds of Palaeocryptonyx donnezani Depéret, 1892 are described, which were previously partly treated as Plioperdix pontica. Some previously published finds of P. donnezani are revised. The oldest find of Coturnix quails in the region is from the Upper Pliocene of Mongolia (Shaamar) and is described as Coturnix augustus sp. nov. Coturnix coturnix is further described from the Lower Pleistocene of Crimea (Taurida Cave).