Gruiformes
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The Gruiformes are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like". Traditionally, a number of wading and terrestrial bird families that did not seem to belong to any other order were classified together as Gruiformes. These include 14 species of large cranes, about 145 species of smaller crakes and rails, as well as a variety of families comprising one to three
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
, such as the Heliornithidae, the
limpkin The limpkin (''Aramus guarauna''), also called carrao, courlan, and crying bird, is a large wading bird related to rails and cranes, and the only extant species in the family Aramidae. It is found mostly in wetlands in warm parts of the America ...
, or the
Psophiidae ''Psophia'' is a genus of birds restricted to the humid forests of the Amazon and Guiana Shield in South America. It is the only genus in the family Psophiidae. Birds in the genus are commonly known as trumpeters, due to the trumpeting or cackli ...
. Other birds have been placed in this order more out of necessity to place them ''somewhere''; this has caused the expanded Gruiformes to lack distinctive apomorphies. Recent studies indicate that these "odd Gruiformes" are if at all only loosely related to the cranes, rails, and relatives ("core Gruiformes").


Systematics

There are only two suprafamilial clades (natural groups) among the birds traditionally classified as Gruiformes. Rails ( Rallidae), flufftails (
Sarothruridae Sarothruridae is a family of small- to medium-sized ground-living birds found mostly in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa, with the genus ''Rallicula'' being restricted to New Guinea and the Moluccas. The species in this family were once consider ...
), finfoots and sungrebe ( Heliornithidae), adzebills ( Aptornithidae), trumpeters (
Psophiidae ''Psophia'' is a genus of birds restricted to the humid forests of the Amazon and Guiana Shield in South America. It is the only genus in the family Psophiidae. Birds in the genus are commonly known as trumpeters, due to the trumpeting or cackli ...
), limpkin (
Aramidae Aramidae is a bird family in the order Gruiformes. The limpkin (''Aramus guarauna'') is the only living member of this family, although other species are known from the fossil record, such as '' Aramus paludigrus'' from the Middle Miocene and '' ...
), and cranes ( Gruidae) compose the suborder Grues and are termed "core-Gruiformes". These are the only true Gruiformes. The suborder Eurypygae includes the
kagu The kagu or cagou (''Rhynochetos jubatus'') is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird endemic to the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It is the only surviving member of the genus ''Rhynochetos'' and the family Rhynochetidae, alt ...
(Rhynochetidae) and
sunbittern The sunbittern (''Eurypyga helias'') is a bittern-like bird of tropical regions of the Americas, and the sole member of the family Eurypygidae (sometimes spelled Eurypigidae) and genus ''Eurypyga''. It is found in Central and South America, and ...
(Eurypygidae). These are not even remotely related to Grues. The families of mesites or roatelos (
Mesitornithidae The mesites (Mesitornithidae) are a family of birds that are part of a clade (Columbimorphae) that include Columbiformes and Pterocliformes. They are smallish flightless or near flightless birds endemic to Madagascar. They are the only family wit ...
), button-quails (
Turnicidae Buttonquail or hemipodes are members of a small family of birds, Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quails of Phasianidae. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. There are 18 species in two genera ...
), Australian plains-wanderer ( Pedionomidae), seriemas ( Cariamidae), and bustards (
Otididae Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustard ...
) each represent distinct and unrelated lineages. Many families known only from fossils have been assigned to the Gruiformes, e.g., Ergilornithidae, Phorusrhacidae, Messelornithidae, Eogruidae, Idiornithidae, Bathornithidae, to name just a few (see below). Though some of these are superficially 'crane-like' and the possibility that some may even be related to extant families traditionally included in the Gruiformes, there are no completely extinct families that can be confidently assigned to core-Gruiformes. The traditional order Gruiformes was established by the influential German avian comparative anatomist Max Fürbringer (1888). Over the decades, many ornithologists suggested that members of the order were in fact more closely related to other groups (reviewed by Olson 1985, Sibley and Ahlquist 1990). For example, it was thought that sunbittern might be related to herons and that seriemas might be related to cuckoos. Olson and Steadman (1981) were first to correctly disband any of the traditional Gruiformes. They recognized that the Australian plains-wanderer (family Pedionomidae) was actually a member of the shorebirds (order Charadriiformes) based on skeletal characters. This was confirmed by Sibley and Ahlquist (1990) based on DNA–DNA hybridization and subsequently by Paton et al. (2003), Paton and Baker (2006) and Fain and Houde (2004, 2006). Sibley and Ahlquist furthermore removed button-quails (Turnicidae) from the Gruiformes based on large DNA–DNA hybridization distances to other supposed Gruiformes. However, it was not until the work of Paton et al. (2004) and Fain and Houde (2004, 2006) that the correct placement of buttonquails within the shorebirds (order Charadriiformes) was documented on the basis of phylogenetic analysis of multiple genetic loci. Using 12S ribosomal DNA sequences, Houde et al. (1997) were the first to present molecular genetic evidence of gruiform polyphyly, although apparently they were not convinced by it. However, on the basis of numerous additional sequence data, it has been shown decisively that the traditionally recognized Gruiformes consist of five to seven unrelated clades (Fain and Houde 2004, Ericson et al. 2006, Hackett et al. 2008). Fain and Houde (2004) proposed that Neoaves are divisible into two clades, Metaves and Coronaves, although it has been suggested from the start that Metaves may be paraphyletic (Fain and Houde 2004, Ericson ''et al.'' 2006, Hackett ''et al.'' 2008). Sunbittern, kagu, and mesites all group within Metaves but all the other lineages of "Gruiformes" group either with a collection of waterbirds or landbirds within Coronaves. This division has been upheld by the combined analysis of as many as 30 independent loci (Ericson ''et al.'' 2006, Hackett ''et al.'' 2008), but is dependent on the inclusion of one or two specific loci in the analyses. One locus, i.e., mitochondrial DNA, contradicts the strict monophyly of Coronaves (Morgan-Richards ''et al.'' 2008), but phylogeny reconstruction based on mitochondrial DNA is complicated by the fact that few families have been studied, the sequences are heavily saturated (with back mutations) at deep levels of divergence, and they are plagued by strong base composition bias. The
kagu The kagu or cagou (''Rhynochetos jubatus'') is a crested, long-legged, and bluish-grey bird endemic to the dense mountain forests of New Caledonia. It is the only surviving member of the genus ''Rhynochetos'' and the family Rhynochetidae, alt ...
and
sunbittern The sunbittern (''Eurypyga helias'') is a bittern-like bird of tropical regions of the Americas, and the sole member of the family Eurypygidae (sometimes spelled Eurypigidae) and genus ''Eurypyga''. It is found in Central and South America, and ...
are one another's closest relatives. It had been proposed (Cracraft 2001) that they and the recently extinct adzebills (family Aptornithidae) from New Zealand constitute a distinct Gondwanan lineage. However, sunbittern and kagu are believed to have diverged from one another long after the break-up of Gondwanaland and the adzebills are in fact members of the Grues (Houde ''et al.'' 1997, Houde 2009). The
seriema The seriemas are the sole living members of the small bird family Cariamidae, which is also the only surviving lineage of the order Cariamiformes. Once believed to be related to cranes, they have been placed near the falcons, parrots and passerin ...
s and bustards represent distinct lineages within neoavian waterbirds.


Phylogeny

ORDER GRUIFORMESMikko's Phylogeny Archiv

Paleofile.com (net, info) . * Family † Songziidae Hou, 1990 ** Genus †'' Songzia'' Hou, 1990 *Suborder Grui ** Superfamily Gruoidea Vigors, 1825 *** Family † Geranoididae Wetmore, 1933 *** Family † Parvigruidae Mayr, 2005 **** Genus †'' Parvigrus'' Mayr, 2005 **** Genus †'' Rupelrallus'' Fischer, 1997 *** Family
Aramidae Aramidae is a bird family in the order Gruiformes. The limpkin (''Aramus guarauna'') is the only living member of this family, although other species are known from the fossil record, such as '' Aramus paludigrus'' from the Middle Miocene and '' ...
Bonaparte, 1854 (limpkin) **** Genus †'' Badistornis'' Wetmore, 1940 **** Genus '' Aramus'' Vieillot, 1816 'Courlili''_Buffon,_1781;_''Notherodius.html" ;"title="Courlili.html" ;"title="'Courlili">'Courlili'' Buffon, 1781; ''Notherodius">Courlili.html" ;"title="'Courlili">'Courlili'' Buffon, 1781; ''Notherodius'' Wagler, 1827] (limpkins) *** Family
Psophiidae ''Psophia'' is a genus of birds restricted to the humid forests of the Amazon and Guiana Shield in South America. It is the only genus in the family Psophiidae. Birds in the genus are commonly known as trumpeters, due to the trumpeting or cackli ...
Bonaparte, 1831 (trumpeters) **** Genus '' Psophia'' Linnaeus, 1758 *** Family † Eogruidae Wetmore, 1934 **** Genus †'' Sonogrus'' Kuročkin, 1981 **** Genus †'' Eogrus'' Wetmore, 1932 'Progrus''_Bendukidze,_1971.html" ;"title="Progrus.html" ;"title="' 'Progrus''_Bendukidze,_1971">Progrus.html"_;"title="'Progrus">'Progrus''_Bendukidze,_1971****_Subfamily_†Ergilornithinae.html" ;"title="Progrus">'Progrus'' Bendukidze, 1971">Progrus.html" ;"title="'Progrus">'Progrus'' Bendukidze, 1971**** Subfamily †Ergilornithinae">Progrus">'Progrus'' Bendukidze, 1971">Progrus.html" ;"title="'Progrus">'Progrus'' Bendukidze, 1971**** Subfamily †Ergilornithinae ***** Genus †''Ergilornis'' Kozlova, 1960 ***** Genus †''Amphipelargus'' Lydekker, 1891 ***** Genus †''Urmiornis'' Mecquenem, 1908 *** Family Gruidae (cranes) **** Genus †'' Camusia'' Seguí, 2002 **** Subfamily Balearicinae Brasil, 1913 ***** Genus †'' Aramornis'' Wetmore, 1926 ***** Genus †'' Geranopsis'' Lydekker, 1871 ***** Genus †'' Eobalearica'' Gureev, 1949 ***** Genus ''
Balearica The bird genus ''Balearica'' (also called the crowned cranes) contains two extant species in the crane family Gruidae: the black crowned crane (''B. pavonina'') and the grey crowned crane (''B. regulorum''). The species today occur only in A ...
'' Brisson, 1760 'Geranarchus'' Gloger, 1842(crowned cranes) **** Subfamily Gruinae Vigors, 1825 ***** Genus †'' "Grus" conferta'' Miller & Sibley, 1942 lson & Rasmussen, 2001/small> ***** Genus †'' "Probalearica" mongolica'' Kurochkin, 1985 ***** Genus †'' Palaeogrus'' Portis, 1885 'Palaeogrus'' Salvadori, 1884 ''nomen nudum''***** Genus '' Antigone'' (Linnaeus, 1758) ***** Genus '' Leucogeranus'' (Pallas, 1773) ***** Genus '' Grus'' Brisson, 1760 non Moehring, 1758 [''Anthropoides'' Vieillot, 1816; ''Bugeranus'' Gloger, 1841; ''Megalornis'' Gray, 1841; ''Leucogeranus'' Bonaparte, 1855; ''Mathewsena'' Iredale, 1914; ''Mathewsia'' Iredale, 1911; ''Limnogeranus'' Sharpe, 1893; ''Laomedontia'' Reichenbach, 1852; ''Philorchemon'' Gloger, 1842; ''Scops'' Gray, 1840 non Moehring, 1758 non Bruennich, 1772 npn Savigny, 1809] (cranes) *Suborder Ralli (suborder), Ralli ** Family †Adzebill, Aptornithidae (adzebills) ** Family
Sarothruridae Sarothruridae is a family of small- to medium-sized ground-living birds found mostly in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa, with the genus ''Rallicula'' being restricted to New Guinea and the Moluccas. The species in this family were once consider ...
(flufftails) *** Genus '' Mentocrex'' Peters, 1933 (wood rails) *** Genus '' Sarothrura'' Heine, 1890 non Hasselt, 1823 'Corethrura'' Reichenbach, 1849 non Hope, 1843 non Gray, 1846; ''Daseioura'' Penhallurick, 2003(flufftails) ** Family Heliornithidae Gray, 1841 (finfoots and sungrebe) *** Genus '' Heliopais'' Sharpe, 1893 (Asian/masked finfoots) *** Genus '' Podica'' Lesson, 1831 'Rhigelura'' Wagler, 1832; ''Podoa'' Bonaparte, 1857 non Illiger, 1811(African finfoots) *** Genus '' Heliornis'' Bonnaterre, 1791 'Podoa'' Illiger, 1811 non Bonaparte, 1857; ''Plotoides'' Brookes, 1830; ''Podia'' Swainson, 1837(sungrebe, American finfoot) ** Family Rallidae (crakes, moorhens, gallinules, and rails) *** Genus †'' Aletornis'' Marsh, 1872 'Protogrus''*** Genus †''
Australlus ''Australlus'' is an extinct genus of birds in the Rallidae, rail family. It was Species description, described from a series of Chattian, Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene fossil material found at Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh), Ri ...
'' Worthy & Boles, 2011 *** Genus †'' Baselrallus'' De Pietri & Mayr, 2014 *** Genus †'' Belgirallus'' Mayr & Smith, 2001 *** Genus †'' Capellirallus'' Falla, 1954 (snipe-billed rail) *** Genus †'' Creccoides'' Shufeldt, 1892 *** Genus †'' Eocrex'' Wetmore, 1931 *** Genus †'' Euryonotus'' Mercerat, 1897 *** Genus †'' Fulicaletornis'' Lambrecht, 1933 *** Genus †'' Hovacrex'' Brodkorb, 1965 (Hova gallinule) *** Genus †'' Ibidopsis'' Lydekker, 1891 *** Genus †'' Latipons'' Harrison & Walker, 1979 *** Genus †'' Miofulica'' Lambrecht, 1933 *** Genus †'' Miorallus'' Lambrecht, 1933 *** Genus †'' Nesophalaris'' Brodkorb & Dawson, 1962 *** Genus †'' Palaeoaramides'' Lambrecht, 1933 *** Genus †'' Palaeorallus'' Wetmore, 1931 *** Genus †'' Paraortygometra'' Lambrecht, 1933 *** Genus †'' Parvirallus'' Harrison & Walker, 1979 *** Genus †'' Pastushkinia'' Zelenkov, 2013 *** Genus †'' Quercyrallus'' Lambrecht, 1933 *** Genus †'' Rallicrex'' Lambrecht, 1933 *** Genus †'' Rhenanorallus'' Mayr, 2010 *** Genus †'' Vitirallus'' Worthy, 2004 (Viti Levu rails) *** Genus †'' Wanshuina'' Hou, 1994 *** Genus †'' Youngornis'' Yeh, 1981 *** Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. 'Fulica_podagrica''_(partim).html" ;"title="Fulica_podagrica.html" ;"title="'Fulica podagrica">'Fulica podagrica'' (partim)">Fulica_podagrica.html" ;"title="'Fulica podagrica">'Fulica podagrica'' (partim)(Barbados rail) *** Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Easter Island rail) *** Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Fernando de Noronha rail) *** Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Tahitian "goose”) *** Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Bokaak "bustard") *** Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. ('Amsterdam Island' rail) *** Genus '' Rougetius'' Bonaparte, 1856 (Rouget's Rails) *** Subfamily Rallinae Rafinesque, 1815 **** Genus †'' Pleistorallus'' Worthy, 1997 (Fleming's rails) **** Genus '' Anurolimnas'' Sharpe, 1893 (Chestnut-headed Crakes) **** Genus '' Biensis'' (Madagascan Rails) **** Genus ''
Rallicula ''Rallicula'' is a genus of bird in the family Sarothruridae. It contains four species endemic to the island of New Guinea. * Chestnut forest rail, ''Rallicula rubra'' * White-striped forest rail, ''Rallicula leucospila'' * Forbes's forest rail ...
'' Schlegel, 1871 'Corethruropsis'' Salvadori, 1876(forest-rails) **** Genus ''
Rallus ''Rallus'' is a genus of wetland birds of the rail family. Sometimes, the genera ''Lewinia'' and ''Gallirallus'' are included in it. Six of the species are found in the Americas, and the three species found in Eurasia, Africa and Madagascar ar ...
'' Linnaeus, 1758 ''Epirallus''_Miller,_1942.html" ;"title="Epirallus.html" ;"title="'' ''Epirallus''_Miller,_1942">Epirallus.html"_;"title="''Epirallus">''Epirallus''_Miller,_1942****_Genus_†''Aphanapteryx.html" ;"title="Epirallus">''Epirallus'' Miller, 1942">Epirallus.html" ;"title="''Epirallus">''Epirallus'' Miller, 1942**** Genus †''Aphanapteryx">Epirallus">''Epirallus'' Miller, 1942">Epirallus.html" ;"title="''Epirallus">''Epirallus'' Miller, 1942**** Genus †''Aphanapteryx'' von Frauenfeld, 1868 [''Pezocrex'' Hachisuka, 1953] (Mauritius/Red rails) **** Genus †''Erythromachus'' Milne-Edwards, 1873 (Rodriquez rails) **** Genus ''Dryolimnas'' Sharpe, 1893 **** Genus ''Crex'' Bechstein, 1803 'Crecopsis''_Sharpe,_1893.html" ;"title="Crecopsis.html" ;"title="' 'Crecopsis''_Sharpe,_1893">Crecopsis.html"_;"title="'Crecopsis">'Crecopsis''_Sharpe,_1893(greater_crakes) ****_Genus_''Lewinia.html" ;"title="Crecopsis">'Crecopsis'' Sharpe, 1893">Crecopsis.html" ;"title="'Crecopsis">'Crecopsis'' Sharpe, 1893(greater crakes) **** Genus ''Lewinia">Crecopsis">'Crecopsis'' Sharpe, 1893">Crecopsis.html" ;"title="'Crecopsis">'Crecopsis'' Sharpe, 1893(greater crakes) **** Genus ''Lewinia'' Gray, 1855 [''Aramidopsis'' Sharpe, 1893; ''Donacias'' Heine & Reichenow, 1890; ''Hyporallus'' Iredale & Mathews, 1926] **** Genus ''Canirallus'' Bonaparte, 1856 (grey-throated rail) **** Genus ''Gymnocrex'' Salvadori, 1875 (bare-faced rails) **** Genus ''Gallirallus'' Lafresnaye, 1841 'Tricholimnas''_Sharpe,_1893;_''Nesoclopeus.html" ;"title="Tricholimnas.html" ;"title="'Tricholimnas">'Tricholimnas'' Sharpe, 1893; ''Nesoclopeus">Tricholimnas.html" ;"title="'Tricholimnas">'Tricholimnas'' Sharpe, 1893; ''Nesoclopeus'' Peters, 1932; ''Cabalus'' Hutton, 1874; ''Habropteryx'' Stresemann, 1932; ''Eulabeornis'' Gould, 1844; †''Diaphorapteryx'' Forbes, 1893; ''Hypotaenidia'' Reichenbach, 1853; '' Sylvestrornis'' Mathews, 1928] *** Subfamily Gallinulinae Gray, 1840 **** Tribe Pardirallini Livezey, 1998 ramidinae(Wood-rails & allies) ***** Genus '' Pardirallus'' Bonaparte, 1856 'Ortygonax'' Heine, 1890***** Genus '' Mustelirallus'' Bonaparte, 1858 'Neocrex'' Sclater & Salvin, 1869; ''Cyanolimnas'' Barbour & Peters, 1927***** Genus '' Amaurolimnas'' Sharpe 1893 (Rufous rails; Uniform crakes) ***** Genus ''
Aramides ''Aramides'' is a genus of birds in the family Rallidae. It contains the following 8 species: There is also a doubtful species: * Red-throated wood rail, ''Aramides gutturalis'' - extinct (20th century?) References External links

* * ...
'' Pucheran, 1845 **** Tribe Gallinulini Gray, 1840 ulicarinae (Nitzsch, 1820) sensu Livezey, 1998***** Genus ''
Tribonyx ''Tribonyx'' is a small genus of birds in the rail family, containing two extant species and one recently extinct species. The genus is endemic to Australia and New Zealand. They are sometimes lumped with the moorhens in ''Gallinula''. Speci ...
'' Du Bus de Gisignies, 1840 'Brachyptrallus'' Lafresnaye, 1840; ''Microtribonyx'' Sharpe, 1893(native-hens) ***** Genus '' Porzana'' Vieillot, 1816 'Limnobaenus'' Sundevall, 1872; ''Phalaridion'' Kaup, 1829; ''Porzanoidea'' Mathews, 1912; ''Porzanoides'' Condon, 1975; ''Rallites'' Pucheran, 1845; ''Schoenocrex'' Roberts, 1922; ''Porphyriops'' Pucheran, 1845] ***** Genus ''Paragallinula'' Sangster, García-R & Trewick, 2015 (Lesser Moorhen) ***** Genus ''Gallinula'' Brisson, 1760 [''Hydrogallina'' Lacépède, 1799; ''Stagnicola'' Brehm, 1831; ''Porphyriornis'' Allen, 1892 ''Pareudiastes'' Hartlaub & Finsch, 1871 ''Edithornis''] ***** Genus '' coots, Fulica'' Linnaeus, 1758 ''Palaeolimnas'' Forbes, 1893*** Subfamily Porphyrioninae Reichenbach, 1849 **** Tribe Porphyrionini Reichenbach, 1849 (Purple gallinules & swamphens) ***** Genus †'' Aphanocrex'' Wetmore, 1963 (St. Helena swamphens) ***** Genus ''
Porphyrio ''Porphyrio'' is the swamphen or swamp hen bird genus in the rail family. It includes some smaller species which are usually called "purple gallinules", and which are sometimes separated as genus ''Porphyrula'' or united with the gallinules pro ...
'' Brisson, 1760 'Notornis'' Owen, 1848**** Tribe Himantornithini Bonaparte, 1856 (Bush-hens & Waterhens) ***** Genus '' Himantornis'' Hartlaub, 1855 (Nkulenga rails) ***** Genus '' Megacrex'' D'Albertis & Salvadori, 1879 (New Guinea Flightless Rails) ***** Genus '' Aenigmatolimnas'' (Striped Crakes) ***** Genus '' Gallicrex'' Blyth, 1852 'Gallinulopha'' Bonaparte, 1854; ''Hypnodes'' Reichenbach, 1853(Watercocks) ***** Genus '' Amaurornis'' Reichenbach, 1853 'Erythra'' Reichenbach, 1853; ''Pisynolimnas'' Heine & Reichenow, 1890; ''Poliolimnas'' Sharpe, 1893] (Bush-hen) **** Tribe Zaporniini Des Murs, 1860 (Old world crakes) ***** Genus ''Rallina'' Gray, 1846 [''Euryzona'' Gray, 1855; ''Tomirdus'' Mathews, 1912] (chestnut-rails) ***** Genus ''
Zapornia ''Zapornia'' is a genus of birds in the rail family Rallidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Zapornia'' was introduced in 1816 by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a catalogue of animals in the British Museum. He included a single species, the ...
'' Stephens, 1824 'Limnocorax'' Peters, 1854; ''Limnobaenus''; ''Corethrura'' Grey, 1846**** Tribe Laterallini Tif, 2014 (New world crakes) ***** Genus '' Micropygia'' Bonaparte, 1856 (Ocellated Crakes) ***** Genus '' Rufirallus'' (russet-crowned crake) ***** Genus '' Laterallus'' Gray, 1855 (ruddy crakes) ***** Genus '' Coturnicops'' Gray, 1855 (barred-backed crakes) ***** Genus '' Hapalocrex'' (Yellow-breasted Crakes) ***** Genus '' Limnocrex'' ***** Genus '' Mundia'' Bourne, Ashmole & Simmons, 2003 (Ascension Island Crakes) ***** Genus '' Creciscus'' Cabanis, 1857 'Atlantisia'' Lowe, 1923(blackish crakes) **Not placed in family ***Genus †'' Nesotrochis'' Wetmore, 1918 (West Indian cave-rails) When considered to be monophyletic, it was assumed that Gruiformes was among the more ancient of avian lineages. The divergence of "gruiforms" among "Metaves" and "Coronaves" is proposed to be the first divergence among Neoaves, far predating the
Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction event (also known as the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction) was a sudden mass extinction of three-quarters of the plant and animal species on Earth, approximately 66 million years ago. With the ...
c. 66 mya (Houde 2009). No unequivocal basal gruiforms are known from the fossil record. However, there are several genera that are not unequivocally assignable to the known families and that may occupy a more basal position: * '' Propelargus'' (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene of Quercy, France) – cariamid or idornithid * '' Rupelrallus'' (Early Oligocene of Germany) – rallid? parvigruid? * '' Badistornis'' (Brule Middle Oligocene of Shannon County, Missouri) – aramid? * '' Probalearica'' (Late Oligocene? – Middle Pliocene of Florida, France?, Moldavia and Mongolia) – gruid? A '' nomen dubium''? * "Gruiformes" gen. et sp. indet. MNZ S42623 (Bathans Early/Middle Miocene of Otago, New Zealand) – Aptornithidae? * '' Aramornis'' (Sheep Creek Middle Miocene of Snake Creek Quarries, U.S.) – gruid? aramid? * '' Euryonotus'' (Pleistocene of Argentina) – rallid? Other even more enigmatic fossil birds and five living families are occasionally suggested to belong into this order, such as the proposed
Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', ...
family Laornithidae and the following taxa: * Family †
Gastornithidae ''Gastornis'' is an extinct genus of large flightless birds that lived during the mid Paleocene to mid Eocene epochs of the Paleogene period. Fossils have been found in Europe, Asia and North America, with the remains from North America origina ...
(diatrymas) (
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
) * Family † Messelornithidae ( Messel-birds) * Family † Salmilidae (
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
) – distinct order ( Cariamiformes) * Family † Geranoididae (
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
) – distinct order ( Cariamiformes); however, Mayr (2016) argued they might be members of Gruiformes, specifically
stem group In phylogenetics, the crown group or crown assemblage is a collection of species composed of the living representatives of the collection, the most recent common ancestor of the collection, and all descendants of the most recent common ancestor. ...
representatives of the Gruoidea. * Family †
Bathornithidae Bathornithidae is an extinct family of birds from the Eocene to Miocene of North America. Part of Cariamiformes, they are related to the still extant seriemas and the also extinct Phorusrhacidae. They were likely similar in habits, being terrest ...
(
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
) – distinct order ( Cariamiformes) * Family † Idiornithidae (
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
) – distinct order ( Cariamiformes) * Family †
Phorusrhacidae Phorusrhacids, colloquially known as terror birds, are an extinct clade of large carnivorous flightless birds that were one of the largest species of apex predators in South America during the Cenozoic era; their conventionally accepted temporal ...
(terror birds) (
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
) – distinct order ( Cariamiformes) * Family Cariamidae (seriemas) – Neoavian landbirds – distinct order ( Cariamiformes) * Family
Otididae Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustard ...
(bustards) – Neoavian waterbirds – distinct order * Family Eurypygidae (sunbittern) – prospective "Metaves" – new order
Eurypygiformes Eurypygiformes is an order formed by the kagus, comprising two species in the family Rhynochetidae endemic to New Caledonia, and the sunbittern (''Eurypyga helias'') from the tropical regions of the Americas. Its closest relatives appear to b ...
together with kagu
Frank Gill Frank Gill may refer to: * Frank Gill (Australian footballer) (1908–1970), Australian rules footballer with Carlton * Frank Gill (footballer, born 1948), footballer for Tranmere Rovers *Frank Gill (politician) (1917–1982), New Zealand politicia ...
and Minturn Wright: ''Birds of the World Recommended English Names''. Princeton University Press, 2006,
* Family
Rhynochetidae ''Rhynochetos'' is a genus of ground-dwelling birds in the monotypic family Rhynochetidae. It contains two species, both endemic to New Caledonia, one of which is extinct. Taxonomy ''Rhynochetos jubatus'' is the only extant species of this gen ...
(kagu) – prospective "Metaves" – new order Eurypygiformes together with sunbittern * Family
Mesitornithidae The mesites (Mesitornithidae) are a family of birds that are part of a clade (Columbimorphae) that include Columbiformes and Pterocliformes. They are smallish flightless or near flightless birds endemic to Madagascar. They are the only family wit ...
(mesites, roatelos, monias) prospective "Metaves" – distinct order *Family
Turnicidae Buttonquail or hemipodes are members of a small family of birds, Turnicidae, which resemble, but are unrelated to, the quails of Phasianidae. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. There are 18 species in two genera ...
(buttonquails) moved to already existing order Charadriiformes together with plains wanderer *Family Pedionomidae (plains wanderer) moved to already existing order Charadriiformes together with buttonquails * '' Horezmavis'' (Bissekty Late Cretaceous of Kyzyl Kum, Uzbekistan) * '' Telmatornis'' (Navesink Late Cretaceous?) * '' Amitabha'' (Bridger middle Eocene of Forbidden City, Wyoming) – rallid? * '' Eobalearica'' (Ferghana Late? Eocene of Ferghana, Uzbekistan) – gruid? * ''"Phasianus" alfhildae'' (Washakie B Late Eocene of Haystack Butte, U.S.) * '' Talantatos'' (Late Eocene of Paris Bain, France) * '' Telecrex'' (Irdin Manha Late Eocene of Chimney Butte, China) – rallid? * Neornithes incerta sedis (Late Paleocene/Early Eocene of Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco) * '' Aminornis'' (Deseado Early Oligocene of Rio Deseado, Argentina) – aramid? * '' Loncornis'' (Deseado Early Oligocene of Rio Deseado, Argentina) – aramid? * '' Riacama'' (Deseado Early Oligocene of Argentina) * '' Smiliornis'' (Deseado Early Oligocene of Argentina) * '' Pseudolarus'' (Deseado Early Oligocene – Miocene of Argentina) – gruiform? * '' Gnotornis'' (Brule Late Oligocene of Shannon County, Missouri) – aramid? * '' Anisolornis'' (Santa Cruz Middle Miocene of Karaihen, Argentina) – aramid? * '' Occitaniavis'' – cariamid or idiornithid, includes ''Geranopsis elatus''


See also

*
List of Gruiformes by population This is a list of Gruiformes species by global population. While numbers are estimates, they have been made by the experts in their fields. For more information on how these estimates were ascertained, see Wikipedia's articles on population biolo ...


References

* * * * * *Houde, P. (2009) "Gruiformes". in ''Timetree of Life'' (S. B. Hedges and S. Kumar, eds.) Oxford Univ. Press, New York. * * *Olson, S. L. (1985) "The fossil record of birds". ''Avian biology'' (D. S. Farner and King, J. R. and K. C. Parkes, eds.) 8: 79–238, Academic Press, Orlando. * * * Sibley, Charles Gald and Ahlquist, Jon Edward (1990): ''Phylogeny and classification of birds''. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.


External links


Tree of Life: Gruiformes
{{Authority control Bird orders Extant Maastrichtian first appearances Late Cretaceous taxonomic orders Paleocene taxonomic orders Eocene taxonomic orders Oligocene taxonomic orders Miocene taxonomic orders Pliocene taxonomic orders Pleistocene taxonomic orders Holocene taxonomic orders Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte