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A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EGG WHITE PROTEINS OF SOME SPECIES OF THE AVIAN ORDER GRUIFORMES
Author(s) -
Hendrickson H. T.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.1969.tb01605.x
Subject(s) - biology , zoology , evolutionary biology , egg white , geography , food science
Summary No agreement has been reached on the classification of the avian order Gruiformes as defined by Peters (1934) and Wetmore (1960). Starch gel electrophoresis of egg white proteins was therefore carried out in an attempt to obtain additional taxonomic data. Individual and intrafamilial variability was observed to be small, and the protein patterns thus seem to provide a basis for classification above the familial level. These protein patterns, together with the historically conventional characters, suggest that a relationship exists between the Rallidae, Heliornithidae, Eurypygidae, Turnicidae, and Psophiidae; and that the Gruidae and Aramidae are not far removed from this assemblage. The Aramidae are thought to occupy a separate but intermediate position between the Gruidae and the rail‐like assemblage. The Otididae have a very different pattern which, together with the unusual combination of classical characters, suggests that the bustards should be removed from the order. The insufficient sampling from the Cariamidae and Rhynochetidae does little to clarify their systematic positions.