Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 53. (Budapest 1961)

Horváth, L.: Phylogenetically evaluable features in the plummage of the Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus major pinetorum Brehm) and the Syrian woodpecker (D. syriacus balcanicus Gangl. et Stres.) in Hungary

refer to a Central, that is, SE Asiatic origin of the species in question. Accordingly, all five species examined hitherto populated Europe from Asia. Having expounded our theoretical standpoint and the results arrived at until now, let us now examine the research materials. For atavistic-aberrational investigations, I had 79 specimens at my disposal. Of these, one (Dendrocopos I. leucopterus Salvadori) served for comparative purposes. The specific and subspecific distribution of the other 78 birds was as follows : Dendrocopos major pinetorum Brehm 28 males, 18 females, 5 youngs ; total : 51. Dendrocopos major major L. 2 males, 1 female, 1 young ; total : 4. Dendrocopos syriacus balcanicus Gengl. & Stres. 13 males, 8 females, 2 youngs ; total : 23. The four specimens, belonging to the nominate form and serving the purposes of comparison, originate from the Soviet Union, while the others are freshly collected home material. The collected material originated proportionately from 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1960, and the localities extended to almost the whole area of the country : Budapest, Budakeszi, Nagy Kevély, Rákoskeresztúr, Felsőgöd, Alsógöd, Gödöllő, Érd, Fót, Szentendre, Szigetmonostor, Péteri, Dunavecse, Dunakeszi, Gyón, Cegléd, Rétszilas, Sárosd, Törtei, Tab, Diósjenő, Kelecsény, Dinnyés, ócsa, Bocsa, Tata, Székesfehérvár, Alsónyáregyháza, Ohat, Gyöngyös, Mátramindszent, Adony, Agasegyháza, Szeged, Villány and Balatonzamárdi. One can find every characteristical plain, hilly and mountainous districts of the country among the collecting localities. The distribution of the specimens per months was also proportionate, since there were shot, almost regularly, in every month a wellnigh identical number of birds, with the exception of two months (July, August), of which we have two, that is, three specimens. As pointed out above, Dendrocopos major splits up into the greatest number of subspecies in the genus Dendrocopos. This fast in itself evokes the feeling that this is the species whose characters are the most diffuse and which displays the loosest state of its features. The present paper has not within its scope the examination other Dendrocopos species, though differentiated into less yet still a considerable number of subspecies, and thus there cannot be made any comparison or deduction drawn in this respect. This much is sure, however, that we have to look for the ancestors of the species major among species more distinct, stabile, possibly monotypical, or disposing of but one or two subspecies. They were again aberrational individuals found among the specimens which allowed the drawing of inferences. It was possible to show, in the course of investigations, the atavistic state of there aberrational features of utterly different natures. If, namely, the characters of species belonging to a genus can be demonstrated as present among the atavistic-aberrational features of one or the other species displaying especially a variation of a cline order — and thus of a lax nature — then this means that, on the one hand, the genus is of a homogenous origin, and on the other that the species evincing mixed atavistic-aberrational characteristics is in the stage of specialization. The greater are the numbers of atavistical aberrations and the more individuals display them, the younger is the species in a phylogenetical sense. Such were my findings in the course of my earlier investigations made on European Bullfinches and Yellow Butings. I am in the position now to state that the Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula L.) is a much younger species than the Yellow Bunting (Emberiza citrinella L.), further that the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major L.) may philogenetically be compared with the Yellow Bunting, since both show a single — and what is more, fairly frequent — atavistic-aberrational characteristic, being a direct