中国噪鹛属的演化及其起源地和边缘区之种类的比较研究

噪鹘属(Garrulax)是鹟科(Muscicapidae)、画眉亚科(Timaliinae)中的一个主要的属。这一属的鸟,体形大都适中似画眉。嘴形通常直而强,有的种稍曲,有的嘴端微具缺刻,鼻孔完全、或几乎完全被以硬须而不外露,或仅一半披着硬须,或则无硬须而仅有一些形长而曲的毛状羽悬垂于鼻孔上。眼先被羽。翅短圆,常具有比较鲜亮的羽缘;第1枚初级飞羽很发达,第5和第6枚最长。尾呈圆尾状或凸尾状,具12枚尾羽,其长度与翅相等或较翅稍长。跗蹠长而强。体羽丰满松软,常呈鲜艳的颜色。雌雄通常同色。

ON THE EVOLUTION OF GARRULAX (TIMALIINAE), WITH COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF THE SPECIES FOUND AT THE CENTER AND THOSE IN THE PERIPHERY OF THE DISTRIBUTIONAL RANGE OF THE GENUS

In the genus Garrulax (babblers), there are, as far as known at present, 46 species, of which 33 occur in China. Of the 33 species, 26 have been recorded from the western parts of Sichuan and Yunnan, i.e., the meridional Himalayas see Tabd. 1, occupying about 80% of the total number of species of Garrulax found in China. This locality is marked by the much varied types of vegetation and ecological conditions, and also noted for its high degree of endemism. Henee it seems reasonable to propose that the meridional Himalayas may probably be the place where the genus Garrulax may have its origin.As to the phylogenetic relationships of the different species of the genus in question, we have adopted the following criteria to ascertain their respective positions in the process of evolution.It is worthy of note that the species with the number of " " below 10 are mostly found in the peripheral region, whereas nearly all of the species with 10 or more " " are distributed in the proposed place of origin of the said genus (see Tab. 2).Traditionally speaking, zoologists used to take species of a low level of development in the process of evolution as a more or less reliable indicator of the center of dispersal of the genus. Our conclusion is just the opposite. The species of a comparatively lower level are found not at the center but are all excluded to the peripheral region of the distributional range of the genus. This competitive exclusion principle is in complete accord with the core of Darwin's theory advocating the survival of the fittest (or the more fitted), and is thus considered not only as a supporting evidence of Darwin's theory of evolution but also as a supplement of scientific significance to Darwinism.