Curassow

Curassow
Curassows
Head of female Wattled Curassow Crax globulosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Cracidae
Subfamily: Cracinae
Genera

Curassows are one of the three major groups of cracid birds. 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.

Evolution

In line with the other 3 main lineages of cracids (chachalacas, true guans, and the Horned Guan), mt and nDNA sequence data indicates that the curassows diverged from their closest living relatives (probably the guans) at some time during the Oligocene, or c.35–20 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 geological events that would have induced speciation is that there are 2 major lineages of curassows: one containing only Crax, and another made up of Mitu and Pauxi. The position of the peculiar Nocturnal Curassow is not well resolved; it might be closer to the latter, but in any case, it diverged around the same time as the split between the two major lineages. All curassow genera appear to have diverged, in fact, during the Tortonian (early Late Miocene): the initial split took place some 10–9 mya, and Pauxi diverged from Mitu some 8–7.4 mya (but see genus article).(Pereira & Baker 2004)

Unlike the other cracids, biogeography and phylogeny indicate that the extant lineages of curassows probably originated in the lowlands of the western/northwestern Amazonas basin, most likely in the general area where today, the borders of Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela meet. In the two larger genera, vicariant speciation seems to have played a major role.(Pereira et al. 2002, Pereira & Baker 2004)

References

  • Pereira, Sérgio Luiz & Baker, Allan J. (2004): Vicariant speciation of curassows (Aves, Cracidae): a hypothesis based on mitochondrial DNA phylogeny. Auk 121(3): 682-694. [English with Spanish abstract] DOI:10.1642/0004-8038(2004)121[0682:VSOCAC]2.0.CO;2 HTML abstract HTML fulltext without images
  • 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. doi:10.1080/10635150290102519 PMID 12554460 PDF fulltext



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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Curassow — Cu*ras sow (k? r?s s?), n. [Native name in Brazil.] (Zool.) A large gallinaceous bird of the American genera {Crax}, {Ourax}, etc., of the family {Cracid[ae]}. [1913 Webster] Note: The crested curassow ({Crax alector}) is black, and about the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • curassow — [kyo͞o′rə sō΄, kyo͞o ras′ō΄] n. [< CURAÇAO] any of several dark, crested, gallinaceous game birds (family Cracidae, esp. genera Crax and Mitu) of South and Central America, which usually nest in trees …   English World dictionary

  • curassow — /kyoor euh soh , kyoo ras oh/, n. any of several large, arboreal, gallinaceous birds of the family Cracidae, of South and Central America. [1675 85; after CURAÇAO] * * * Any of numerous tropical American bird species (family Cracidae); strictly… …   Universalium

  • curassow — tikrieji kraksai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Crax angl. curassow vok. Hokko, m rus. гокко, m pranc. hocco, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – kraksai siauresnis terminas – didysis kraksas siauresnis terminas – Dobantono… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • curassow — noun Etymology: alteration of Curaçao Date: 1685 any of several large arboreal gallinaceous game birds (family Cracidae, especially genus Crax) of South and Central America …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • curassow — noun Any of several species of bird in the Cracidae family, limited to the Americas …   Wiktionary

  • curassow — n. large game bird with tuft of feathers related to the pheasants and domestic fowl …   English contemporary dictionary

  • curassow — [ kjʊərəsəʊ] noun a large crested pheasant like bird of the guan family, found in tropical American forests. [Genus Crax: several species.] Origin C17: anglicized form of Curaçao (see curaçao) …   English new terms dictionary

  • curassow — cu·ras·sow …   English syllables

  • curassow — cu•ras•sow [[t]ˈkyʊər əˌsoʊ, kyʊˈræs oʊ[/t]] n. orn any of several large gallinaceous birds of the guan family, esp. of the genus Crax, typically crested, with bony casques above the bill • Etymology: 1675–85; after Curaçao …   From formal English to slang

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