''Tringa'' is a genus of waders, containing the shanks and tattlers. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by the Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1599. They are mainly freshwater birds, often with brightly coloured legs as reflected in the English names of six species, as well as the specific names of two of these and the green sandpiper. They are typically associated with northern hemisphere temperate regions for breeding. Some of this group—notably the green sandpiper—nest in trees, using the old nests of other birds, usually thrushes. The willet and the tattlers have been found to belong in ''Tringa''; these genus changes were formally adopted by the

American Ornithologists' Union The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is an ornithological organization based in the United States. The society was formed in October 2016 by the merger of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Its m ...

in 2006. The present genus in the old, more limited sense was even further subdivided into ''Tringa'' proper and ''

Totanus ''Totanus'' (Bechstein, 1803) is a generic name previously applied to various waders or shorebirds, now subsumed within ''Tringa''. Created by Johann Matthäus Bechstein, it derives from the species name for the common redshank, described by Ca ...

'', either as

subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

or as full genera. The available

DNA sequence DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...

data suggests however that neither of these is

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

and that the latter simply lumps together a number of more of less closely related

apomorph In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel character or character state that has evolved from its ancestral form (or plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy shared by two or more taxa and is therefore hypothesized to have ...

ic species. Therefore, it seems unwarranted to recognize ''Totanus'' even as a subgenus for the time being.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Tringa'' was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his ''

Systema Naturae ' (originally in Latin written ' with the ligature æ) is one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) and introduced the Linnaean taxonomy. Although the system, now known as binomial nomen ...

''. The name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by the Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1603 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'', a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The type species is the green sandpiper (''Tringa ochropus'').

Species

The genus contains 13 species. * Green sandpiper, ''Tringa ochropus'' *

Solitary sandpiper The solitary sandpiper (''Tringa solitaria'') is a small shorebird. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'', a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbin ...

, ''Tringa solitaria'' *

Grey-tailed tattler The grey-tailed tattler (''Tringa brevipes'', formerly ''Heteroscelus brevipes''Banks, Richard C.; Cicero, Carla; Dunn, Jon L.; Kratter, Andrew W.; Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Remsen, J. V. Jr.; Rising, James D. & Stotz, Douglas F. (2006):Forty-seventh ...

, ''Tringa brevipes'' – formerly ''Heteroscelus brevipes'' *

Wandering tattler The wandering tattler (''Tringa incana''; formerly ''Heteroscelus incanus'': Pereira & Baker, 2005; Banks ''et al.'', 2006), is a medium-sized wading bird. It is similar in appearance to the closely related gray-tailed tattler, ''T. brevipes''. ...

, ''Tringa incana'' – formerly ''Heteroscelus incanus'' * Spotted redshank, ''Tringa erythropus'' * Greater yellowlegs, ''Tringa melanoleuca'' * Common greenshank, ''Tringa nebularia'' * Willet, ''Tringa semipalmata'' – formerly ''Catoptrophorus semipalmatus'' * Lesser yellowlegs, ''Tringa flavipes'' * Nordmann's greenshank, ''Tringa guttifer'' *

Marsh sandpiper The marsh sandpiper (''Tringa stagnatilis'') is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to the Russian Far East. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given ...

, ''Tringa stagnatilis'' * Common redshank, ''Tringa totanus'' *

Wood sandpiper The wood sandpiper (''Tringa glareola'') is a small wader. This Eurasian species is the smallest of the shanks, which are mid-sized long-legged waders of the family Scolopacidae. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green ...

, ''Tringa glareola'' File:Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus) at Bharatpur I IMG 5552.jpg, ''Tringa'' legs are either red ( Spotted redshank, ''T. erythropus''), ... File:Lesser Yellowlegs.jpg, ... yellow ( Lesser yellowlegs, ''T. flavipes''), ... File:Common greenshank (Tringa nebularia) Bahrain.jpg, ... pale green ( Common greenshank, ''T. nebularia''), ... File:Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) at Bharatpur I IMG 5691.jpg, ... or ochre (

, ''T. glareola'')

Systematics and evolution

The shanks' and tattlers' closest relatives are sandpipers of the genera '' Actitis'' and '' Xenus''. Together with these, they are related to the

phalaropes __NOTOC__ A phalarope is any of three living species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus ''Phalaropus'' of the bird family Scolopacidae. Phalaropes are close relatives of the shanks and tattlers, the '' Actitis'' and Terek sandpipers, ...

, as well as the

turnstone Turnstones are two bird species that comprise the genus ''Arenaria'' in the family Scolopacidae. They are closely related to calidrid sandpipers and might be considered members of the tribe Calidriini. The genus ''Arenaria'' was introduced by t ...

s and calidrids.van Tuinen ''et al.'' (2004) The large genus ''Tringa'' and the two very small genera which are most closely related form a phylogeny similar to the situation found in many other shorebird lineages such as calidrids, snipes and woodcocks, or gulls. The same study has indicated that some morphological characters such as details of the furcula and

pelvis The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton). The ...

have evolved convergently and are no indicators of close relationship. Similarly, the leg/foot color wildly varies between close relatives, with the spotted redshank, the greater yellowlegs, and the common greenshank for example being more closely related among each other than to any other species in the group; the ancestral coloration of the legs and feet was fairly certainly drab buffish as in e.g. the green sandpiper. On the other hand, the molecular phylogeny reveals that the general habitus and size as well as the overall plumage pattern are good indicators of an evolutionary relationship in this group. The Nordmann's greenshank, a rare and

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

, was not available for molecular analyses. It is fairly aberrant and was formerly placed in the monotypic genus ''Pseudototanus''. It appears closest overall to the ''semipalmata-flavipes'' and the ''stagnatilis-totanus-glareola'' groups, though it also has some similarities to the greater yellowlegs and common greenshank.

Fossil recordMlíkovský (2002)

Fossil shanks are known since the Miocene, possibly even since the

Eo- This is a list of common affixes used when scientifically naming species, particularly extinct species for whom only their scientific names are used, along with their derivations. *a-, an-: ''Pronunciation'': /ə/, /a/, /ən/, /an/. ''Origin' ...

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

some 33-30 million years ago (mya) which would be far earlier than most extant genera of birds. However, it is uncertain whether ''Tringa edwardsi'' indeed belongs into the present-day genus or is a distinct, ancestral form. The time of the ''Tringa''-'' Actitis''-'' Xenus''-'' Phalaropus'' divergence has been tentatively dated at 22 mya, the beginning of the Miocene; even if the dating is largely conjectural, it suggests that ''T. edwardsi'' does indeed not belong into the modern genus. Molecular dating—which is not too reliable, however—indicates that the diversification into the known lineages occurred between 20 and 5 mya. The fossil record contains species formerly separated in ''Totanus'' from the Early Miocene onwards. Although these are usually known from very scant remains, the fact that apparently

ic ''Tringa'' as well as a putative phalarope are known from about 23-22 mya indicates that the shank-phalarope group had already diverged into the modern genera by the start of the Miocene. The

biogeography Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, ...

of living and fossil species—notably, the rarity of the latter in well-researched

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

n sites—seems to suggest that ''Tringa'' originated in Eurasia. Time and place neatly coincide with the disappearance of the last vestiges of the Turgai Sea, and this process may well have been a major factor in the separation of the genera in the shank-phalarope

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

. Still, scolopacids are very similar osteologically, and many of the early fossils of presumed shanks require revaluation. * ?''Tringa edwardsi'' (Quercy Late Eocene/Early Oligocene of Mouillac, France) * ?''Tringa gracilis'' (Early Miocene of WC Europe) – calidrid? * ?''Tringa lartetianus'' (Early Miocene of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy, France) * ''Tringa'' spp. (Early Miocene of Ravolzhausen, Germany – Early Pleistocene of Europe)Apparently at least three species at Stránská skála (Czech Republic, Early Pleistocene) for example: Mlíkovský (2002) * ?''Tringa grivensis'' (Middle Miocene of Grive-Saint-Alban, France) * ?''Tringa majori'' (Middle Miocene of Grive-Saint-Alban, France) * ?''Tringa minor'' (Middle Miocene of Grive-Saint-Alban, France) – includes ''"Erolia" ennouchii''; calidriid? * ?''Tringa grigorescui'' (Middle Miocene of Ciobăniţa, Romania) * ?''Tringa scarabellii'' (Late Miocene of Senigallia, Italy) * ''Tringa'' sp. 1 (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, USA) * ''Tringa'' sp. 2 (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, USA) * ?''Tringa numenioides'' (Early Pliocene of Odessa, Ukraine) * ''Tringa antiqua'' (Late Pliocene of Meade County, USA) * ''Tringa ameghini'' (Late Pleistocene of Talara Tar Seeps, Peru) ''"Tringa" hoffmanni'' is now in ''

Ludiortyx ''Ludiortyx'' is a bird genus from the Late Eocene. Its remains have been found in the Montmartre Formation at the Montmartre (Paris, France). A single species is accepted, ''Ludiortyx hoffmanni''. This bird is of uncertain relationships; it ...

''. While its relationships are disputed, it was not a charadriiform.

References

Sources

* Ballmann, Peter (1969): Les Oiseaux miocènes de la Grive-Saint-Alban (Isère)

he Miocene birds of Grive-Saint-Alban (Isère) He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

Geobios Geobios is an academic journal published bimonthly by the publishing house Elsevier. Geobios is an international journal of paleontology, focusing on the areas of palaeobiology, palaeoecology, palaeobiogeography, stratigraphy and biogeochemistry ...

'' 2: 157–204.

rench with English abstract The Rench is a right-hand tributary of the Rhine in the Ortenau ( Central Baden, Germany). It rises on the southern edge of the Northern Black Forest at Kniebis near Bad Griesbach im Schwarzwald. The source farthest from the mouth is that of the ' ...

* Banks, Richard C.; Cicero, Carla; Dunn, Jon L.; Kratter, Andrew W.; Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Remsen, J.V. Jr.; Rising, James D. & Stotz, Douglas F. (2006)
Forty-seventh Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds
''

Auk An auk or alcid is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. The alcid family includes the murres, guillemots, auklets, puffins, and murrelets. The word "auk" is derived from Icelandic ''álka'', from Old Norse ''alka'' (a ...

'' 123(3): 926–936. DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2006)123 26:FSTTAO.0.CO;2 * Mlíkovský, Jirí (2002):
Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe
'. Ninox Press, Prague. * Olson, Storrs L. (1985): Section X.D.2.b. Scolopacidae. ''In:'' Farner, D.S.; King, J.R. & Parkes, Kenneth C. (eds.): ''Avian Biology'' 8: 174–175. Academic Press, New York. * Paton, Tara A.; Baker, Allan J.; Groth, J.G. & Barrowclough, G.F. (2003): "RAG-1 sequences resolve phylogenetic relationships within charadriiform birds." '' Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.'' 29(2): 268–278. * Pereira, Sérgio Luiz & Baker, Alan J. (2005)
Multiple Gene Evidence for Parallel Evolution and Retention of Ancestral Morphological States in the Shanks (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae)
'' Condor'' 107(3): 514–526. DOI: 10.1650/0010-5422(2005)107 514:MGEFPE.0.CO;2 * van Tuinen, Marcel; Waterhouse, David & Dyke, Gareth J. (2004)
Avian molecular systematics on the rebound: a fresh look at modern shorebird phylogenetic relationships
'' J. Avian Biol.'' 35(3): 191–194. {{Taxonbar, from=Q41972 Bird genera