Grus
Common crane (Grus grus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae
Genus: Grus
Brisson, 1760
Type species
Ardea grus
Species

see text

Synonyms
  • Bugeranus
  • Anthropoides

Grus is a genus of large birds in the crane family.

The genus Grus was erected by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.[1] The name Grus is the Latin word for "crane".[2] The German ornithologist Peter Simon Pallas was sometimes credited with erecting the genus in 1766[3] but the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature ruled in 1956 that Brisson should have priority.[4]

The genus formerly included additional species. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 found that the genus Grus, as then defined, was polyphyletic.[5] In the resulting rearrangement to create monophyletic genera, the sandhill crane, the white-naped crane, the sarus crane and the brolga were moved to the resurrected genus Antigone that had been erected by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1853.[6][7] The Siberian crane was moved to the resurrected monotypic genus Leucogeranus.[6]

Species

The genus contains eight species:[6]

Genus Grus – Brisson, 1760 – 8 species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Wattled crane

Grey-and-black crane with white neck and wattled red face

G. carunculata[a]
(Gmelin, J. F., 1789) 		Southern and eastern Africa
Map of range 		Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 VU 


6,000–6,300 Population decreasing[9]

Blue crane

Greyish-blue crane with white forehead

G. paradisea[b]
(Lichtenstein, A. A. H., 1793) 		Southern Africa
Map of range 		Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 VU 


17,000–30,000 Population decreasing[11]

Demoiselle crane

Grey crane with black neck and red eyes

G. virgo[c]
(Linnaeus, 1758) 		Asia and northwestern Africa
Map of range 		Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 LC 


230,000–261,000 Population increasing[12]

Red-crowned crane

Black-and-white crane with red forehead

G. japonensis
(Müller, P. L. S., 1776) 		East Asia and Siberia
Map of range 		Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 VU 


2,000–2,650 Population decreasing[13]

Whooping crane

White crane with black face and red top of head

G. americana
(Linnaeus, 1758) 		North America
Map of range 		Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 EN 


50–249 Population increasing[14]

Common crane

Grey crane with black, white, and red head

G. grus
(Linnaeus, 1758) 		Afro-Eurasia
Map of range 		Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 LC 


491,000–503,000 Population increasing[15]

Hooded crane

Greyish-black crane with white neck and dark face

G. monacha
Temminck, 1835
Map of range 		Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 VU 


6,000–15,000 Population increasing [16]

Black-necked crane

White crane with black neck and red forehead

G. nigricollis
Przevalski, 1876 		India and China
Map of range 		Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 NT 


6,600–6,800 Population stable [17]

The HBW/BirdLife and Clements checklists place the demoiselle crane and blue crane in the genus Anthropoides, and the wattled crane in the monospecific genus Bugeranus, leaving only the red-crowned, whooping, common, hooded, and black-necked cranes in the genus Grus.[18][19][20][21]

The Cuban flightless crane, Grus cubensis, became extinct in the Pleistocene.[22]

Fossil record

The fossil record of the genus stretches back some 12 million years or so. A considerable number of prehistoric species are known, with the oldest, Grus miocaenicus (Middle Miocene of Credinţa, Romania) perhaps not a crane but a junior synonym of the swimming-flamingo Palaelodus ambiguus; ("Grus" problematica certainly is). The Late Pleistocene Mediterranean Grus primigenia was hunted by Stone Age humans.

Several other fossil gruiforms are now considered not to belong here. "Grus" prentici is now in Paragrus, "Grus" princeps, "Grus" excelsa and "Grus" hordwellianus are placed in Palaeogrus, and "Grus" excelsa in Balearica. "Grus" marshi belongs in Aletornis.

More uncertain is the position of Probalearica (variously considered Late Oligocene to Middle Pliocene but probably Late Miocene) from Golboçica (Moldavia) and maybe elsewhere. It is usually regarded a nomen dubium but might belong into Grus. "Grus" conferta (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Contra Costa County, USA) is apparently too different from the modern genus to be placed herein, but its affiliations are not well resolved.

Notes

  1. ^ The wattled crane is placed in the genus Bugeranus by the IUCN and Clements Checklist.[8]
  2. ^ The blue crane is placed in the genus Anthropoides by the IUCN and Clements Checklist.[10][8]
  3. ^ The Demoiselle crane is placed in the genus Anthropoides by the IUCN and Clements Checklist.[10][8]

References

  1. ^ Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés (in French and Latin). Vol. 5. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. pp. 374–375.
  2. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 179. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  3. ^ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1934). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 150.
  4. ^ Hemming, Francis, ed. (1956). "Direction 55: Insertion in the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of an entry relating to the generic name Grus Brisson, 1760 (Class Aves) (correction of an error in the Ruling given in Opinion 103)". Opinions and Declarations Rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. Vol. 1 Section D Part D.16. London: International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature. pp. 319–336.
  5. ^ Krajewski, C.; Sipiorski, J.T.; Anderson, F.E. (2010). "Mitochondrial genome sequences and the phylogeny of cranes (Gruiformes: Gruidae)". Auk. 127 (2): 440–452. doi:10.1525/auk.2009.09045. S2CID 85412892.
  6. ^ a b c Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Flufftails, finfoots, rails, trumpeters, cranes, limpkin". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  7. ^ Reichenbach, Ludwig (1853). Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie (in German). Leipzig: Friedrich Hofmeister. p. xxiii.
  8. ^ a b c Clements, James F.; Rasmussen, P. C.; Schulenberg, T. S.; Iliff, M. J.; Fredericks, T. A.; Gerbracht, J. A.; Lepage, Denis; Billerman, S. M.; Sullivan, B. L.; Wood, C. L. (2023). "The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023". Clements Checklist. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  9. ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Bugeranus carunculatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22692129A129880815. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22692129A129880815.en. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  10. ^ a b c "Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 7". HBW and BirdLife International. 2022. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  11. ^ BirdLife International (2021). "Anthropoides paradiseus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T22692109A177514877. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22692109A177514877.en. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  12. ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Anthropoides virgo". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22692081A131927771. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22692081A131927771.en. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  13. ^ BirdLife International (2022). "Grus japonensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T22692167A213488064. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  14. ^ BirdLife International (2020). "Grus americana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22692156A181242855. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22692156A181242855.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  15. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Grus grus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22692146A86219168. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22692146A86219168.en. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  16. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Grus monacha". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22692151A93337861. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22692151A93337861.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  17. ^ BirdLife International (2020). "Grus nigricollis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22692162A180030167. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22692162A180030167.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  18. ^ Archibald, G.W.; Meine, C.D.; Garcia, E.F.J.; Kirwan, G.M. (2017). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  19. ^ Archibald, G.W.; Meine, C.D.; Garcia, E.F.J. (2017). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Blue Crane (Anthropoides paradiseus)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  20. ^ Archibald, G.W.; Meine, C.D.; Garcia, E.F.J. (2017). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  21. ^ Clements, J.F.; Schulenberg, T.S.; Iliff, M.J.; Roberson, D.; Fredericks, T.A.; Sullivan, B.L.; Wood, C.L. (2017). "The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017". Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  22. ^ Olson, Storrs L. (1978). "A paleontological perspective of West Indian birds and mammals" (PDF). In Gill, Frank (ed.). Zoogeography in the Caribbean: The 1975 Leidy Medal Symposium. Special Publication 13. Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. pp. 99–117 [106]. ISBN 1422317854.
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