Antigone (bird) explained

Antigone is a genus of large birds in the crane family.^[1] The species in this genus were formerly placed in the genus Grus.

Taxonomy

The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus to be used for the sarus crane or its old name Grus major Indica because he was confused between Greek princesses Antigone who turned into a stork and Gerana who turned into the crane.^[2]

A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2010 found that the genus Grus was polyphyletic.^[3] In the subsequent rearrangement, four species were placed in the resurrected genus Antigone.^[1] The genus had initially been erected in 1853 by German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach.^[4] The type species is the sarus crane (Antigone antigone).^[5]

Species

The genus includes four species:^[1]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . 2019 . Flufftails, finfoots, rails, trumpeters, cranes, limpkin . World Bird List Version 9.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 26 June 2019 .
2. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010 . Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . London, UK . . 978-1-4081-3326-2 . 49–50 . 659731768 .
3. Krajewski . C. . Sipiorski . J.T. . Anderson . F.E. . 2010 . Mitochondrial genome sequences and the phylogeny of cranes (Gruiformes: Gruidae) . Auk . 127 . 2 . 440–452 . 10.1525/auk.2009.09045 . 85412892 . free .
4. Book: Reichenbach, Ludwig . Ludwig Reichenbach . 1853 . Handbuch der speciellen Ornithologie . Friedrich Hofmeister . German . Leipzig . xxiii .
5. Book: Dickinson . E.C. . Edward C. Dickinson . Remsen . J.V. Jr. . James Van Remsen, Jr. . 2013 . The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World . 1: Non-passerines . 4th . Eastbourne, UK . Aves Press . 978-0-9568611-0-8 . 164.