The chachalacas, guans and curassows are birds in the family Cracidae. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1616x1332, 1067 KB) Description: Penelope jacquacu - Spix-Guan - Spixs Guan at Zoo Duisburg, Germany Source: own photography Date: 27. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Subregnum Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascideiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Many - see section below. ... Families Megapodidae Numididae Odontophoridae Phasianidae Meleagrididae Tetraonidae Cracidae Mesitornithidae The Galliformes is an order of birds containing the turkeys, grouse, quails and pheasants. ... Nicholas Aylward Vigors (1785 – October 26, 1840) was an Irish zoologist and politician. ... Binomial name Pipile pipile Jacquin, 1784 The Common Piping Guan, Pipile pipile is a bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family Cracidae. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ...

These are species of tropical and subtropical Central and South America. One species, the Plain Chachalaca, just reaches southernmost Texas in the USA. Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... ...

These are large birds, similar in general appearance to turkeys. The guans and curassows live in trees, but the smaller chchalacas are found in more open scrubby habitats. They are generally dull-plumaged, but the curassows and some guans have colourful facial ornaments.

These species feed on fruit, insects and worms. The nest is built in a tree, and two to three large white eggs are laid; the female alone incubates. Look up Egg in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Egg has multiple meanings: The term is used synonymously with ovum, the female sex cell in animals and plants. ...

The Cracidae are an ancient group related to the Australasian mound-builders. Australasia Australasia is the area that includes Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and the many smaller islands in the vicinity, most of which are the eastern part of Indonesia. ... The Mound Builders were Archaic and Woodland Pre-Columbian Native American cultures. ...

Species

• The chachalacas
  • Plain Chachalaca, Ortalis vetula
  • Grey-headed Chachalaca, Ortalis cinereiceps
  • Chestnut-winged Chachalaca, Ortalis garrula
  • Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Ortalis ruficauda
  • Rufous-headed Chachalaca, Ortalis erythroptera
  • Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Ortalis wagleri
  • West Mexican Chachalaca, Ortalis poliocephala
  • Chaco Chachalaca, Ortalis canicollis
  • White-bellied Chachalaca, Ortalis leucogastra
  • Speckled Chachalaca, Ortalis guttata
  • Little Chachalaca, Ortalis motmot
  • Buff-browed Chachalaca, Ortalis superciliaris
• The guans
  • Band-tailed Guan, Penelope argyrotis
  • Bearded Guan, Penelope barbata
  • Baudo Guan, Penelope ortoni
  • Andean Guan, Penelope montagnii
  • Marail Guan, Penelope marail
  • Rusty-margined Guan, Penelope superciliaris
  • Red-faced Guan, Penelope dabbenei
  • Crested Guan, Penelope purpurascens
  • Cauca Guan, Penelope perspicax
  • White-winged Guan, Penelope albipennis
  • Spix's Guan, Penelope jacquacu
  • Dusky-legged Guan, Penelope obscura
  • White-crested Guan, Penelope pileata
  • Chestnut-bellied Guan, Penelope ochrogaster
  • White-browed Guan, Penelope jacucaca
  • Trinidad Piping Guan, Pipile pipile
  • Blue-Throated Piping Guan, Pipile cumanensis
  • Red-Throated Piping Guan, Pipile cujubi
  • Black-Fronted Piping Guan, Pipile jacutinga
  • Wattled Guan, Aburria aburri
  • Black Guan, Chamaepetes unicolor
  • Sickle-winged Guan, Chamaepetes goudotii
  • Highland Guan, Penelopina nigra
  • Horned Guan, Oreophasis derbianus
• The curassows
  • Nocturnal Curassow, Nothocrax urumutum
  • Crestless Curassow, Mitu tomentosa
  • Salvin's Curassow, Mitu salvini
  • Razor-billed Curassow, Mitu tuberosa
  • Alagoas Curassow, Mitu mitu
  • Northern Helmeted Curassow, Pauxi pauxi
  • Southern Helmeted Curassow, Pauxi unicornis
  • Great Curassow, Crax rubra
  • Blue-billed Curassow, Crax alberti
  • Yellow-knobbed Curassow, Crax daubentoni
  • Black Curassow, Crax alector
  • Wattled Curassow, Crax globulosa
  • Bare-faced Curassow, Crax fasciolata
  • Red-billed Curassow Crax blumenbachii

The chachalacas, guans and curassows are birds in the family Cracidae. ... Ortalis cinereiceps This bird is found primarily in Costa Rica, where it is a favourite on bird watching tours. ... Binomial name Ortalis ruficauda Jardine, 1847 The Rufous-vented Chachalaca, Ortalis ruficauda, is a member of an ancient group of birds of the Cracidae family, which are related to the Australasian mound builders. ... Binomial name Penelope perspicax Bangs, 1911 The Cauca Guan, Penelope perspicax is a bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family Cracidae. ... Binomial name Pipile pipile (Jacquin, 1784) The Common Piping Guan, Pipile pipile is a bird in the chachalaca, guan and curassow family Cracidae. ... The chachalacas, guans and curassows are birds in the family Cracidae. ...

Phylogeny and Evolution

Sergio Pereira and colleagues have used DNA technology to study the phylogenetic relationships of cracid birds. In recent scientific papers published in Systematic Biology (2002), The Auk (2004) and Molecular Phylogenetic and Evolution (2005) they have deciphered the relationships among the 11 genera in this family, as well as the relationships of all 14 species of curassows and all species of Pipile and Aburria aburri. Their studies have also shown that Cracidae originated in the Late Cretaceous. Modern genera, however, did not radiate until the Eocene. Speciation within curassows (Crax, Nothocrax, Pauxi and Mitu) and within piping-guans (Aburria and Pipile) were caused by changes in South America landscape, mainly due to the rise of the Cordillera of the Andes, that led modern river basins to achieve their current shapes. The distribution of curassows and piping-guans are mainly dictated by river systems.

References

• ET Grau, SL Pereira, ET Grau, LF Silveira, E Hoffling (2005). A Wanjtal. Molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of Neotropical piping guans (Aves: Galliformes): Pipile Bonaparte, 1856 is synonym of Aburria Reichenbach, 1853. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 35: 637-645

• SL Pereira, AJ Baker. Vicariant speciation of curassows (Aves, Cracidae): a hypothesis based on mitochondrial DNA phylogeny. The Auk 121: 682-694.

• SL Pereira, AJ Baker, A Wajntal (2002). Combined nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences resolve generic relationships within the Cracidae (Galliformes, Aves). Systematic Biology 51: 946-958.