Suborder Grui Genus GrusBrisson, 1760 Higher classification Crane | Family Gruidae Scientific name Grus Phylum Chordata | |
 | ||
Lower classifications Common crane, Red‑crowned crane, Siberian crane, Sandhill crane, Whooping crane | ||
Grus is a genus of large birds in the crane family. The genus name is from Latin; grus, "crane". Grus was first applied to the grey-winged trumpeter, but this was overlooked for many years so it was retained for the cranes as a nomen conservandum.
Contents
Species
The HBW/BirdLife and Clements checklists split this genus into five, with the Siberian crane in the monospecific genus Leucogeranus; the sandhill crane, white-naped crane, sarus crane, and brolga in the genus Antigone; 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.
The Cuban flightless crane, Grus cubensis, became extinct in the Quaternary, but probably before human settlement of Cuba.
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 into 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.