Curassow
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2013) |
| Curassows | |
|---|---|
| |
| Head of female wattled curassow Crax globulosa | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Cracidae |
| Subfamily: | Cracinae Vigors, 1825 |
| Genera | |
Curassows are one of the three major groups of cracid birds.[1] They comprise the largest-bodied species of the cracid family. Three of the four genera are restricted to tropical South America; a single species of Crax ranges north to Mexico. They form a distinct clade which is usually classified as the subfamily Cracinae.[1]
| Image | Genus | Living Species |
|---|---|---|
 |
Nothocrax |
|
 |
Mitu |
|
 |
Pauxi – Helmeted curassows |
|
.jpg) |
Crax |
|
Evolution
In line with the other 3 main lineages of cracids (
mya (Pereira et al. 2002). This data must be considered preliminary until corroborated by material (e.g. fossil
) evidence however.
What appears certain from analysis of the molecular data, calibrated against
mya
, and Pauxi diverged from Mitu some 8–7.4 mya (but see genus article).(Pereira & Baker 2004)
Unlike the other cracids,
vicariant speciation
seems to have played a major role.(Pereira et al. 2002, Pereira & Baker 2004)
References
Wikispecies has information related to Curassow.
- ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 636.
- Pereira, Sérgio Luiz & Baker, Allan J. (2004): Vicariant speciation of curassows (Aves, Cracidae): a hypothesis based on mitochondrial DNA phylogeny. DOI:10.1642/0004-8038(2004)121[0682:VSOCAC]2.0.CO;2 HTML abstract HTML fulltext without images Archived 2009-09-13 at the Wayback Machine
- Pereira, Sérgio Luiz; Baker, Allan J.& Wajntal, Anita (2002): Combined nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences resolve generic relationships within the Cracidae (Galliformes, Aves). Systematic Biology 51(6): 946–958. PMID 12554460 PDF fulltext