title: A sociogram for the cranes of the world.
abstract: The behavioral repertoire for the world's 15 species of cranes includes over 100 behavioral acts with clear social significance. Each species performs at least 60 discrete social postures, vocalizations, displays, and activities. Because all but a handful of the stereotyped social displays are common to all species, the presence or absence of social displays was useful only to a limited degree in comparing the relatedness of established crane taxonomic groups. However, the breadth of the repertoire for each species and for the family Gruidae tentatively places cranes at the apex of social complexity (at least for stereotyped displays) in the animal world.
authors.affiliation: Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, U.S. Department of the Interior, HC 1 Box 4420, 3722 Defiance Street, Oracle, AZ 85623, USA.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: International Crane Foundation, E-11376 Shady Lane Road, Baraboo, WS 53913-9778, USA.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Swengel
authors.affiliation: International Crane Foundation, E-11376 Shady Lane Road, Baraboo, WS 53913-9778, USA.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Archibald
authors.affiliation: Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 400 Snapfinger Dr., Athens, GA 30605, USA.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Kepler