Megapode may instead be assigned to the giant megapodes. The more than 20 living species are placed in seven genera. Although the evolutionary relationships between the Megapodiidae are especially uncertain, the morphological groups are clear: Living Megapodiidae, based on the work by John Boyd: Megapode The megapodes, also known as incubator birds or mound-builders, are stocky, medium-large, chicken-like birds with small heads and large feet in the family Megapodiidae. Their name literally means "large foot" (Greek: "mega" = large, "poda" = foot), and is a reference to the heavy legs and feet typical of these terrestrial birds. All are browsers, and
Nicobar megapode of the dusky megapode ("Megapodius freycinet"). The exact island from which the original type specimen came was not known and a later specimen from Trinkat Island, described as "Megapodius trinkutensis" is now considered to be indistinguishable from the nominate subspecies. In 1901, W L Abbott collected specimens from Little Nicobar which were described in 1919 by H C Oberholser as a new subspecies "abbotti", distinguished by its darker brown plumage. The species is found only in the Nicobar Islands. This range is so well separated from the main megapode distribution (especially of the genus "Megapodius") that in 1911, it was