Gruiformes instance of taxon
The Gruiformes  are an order containing a considerable number of living and extinct bird families, with a widespread geographical diversity. Gruiform means "crane-like".
Traditionally, a number of wading and terrestrial bird families that did not seem to belong to any other order were classified together as Gruiformes. These include 14 species of large cranes, about 145 species of smaller crakes and rails, as well as a variety of families comprising one to three species, such as the Heliornithidae, the limpkin, or the Psophiidae.
Other birds have been placed in this order more out of necessity to place them somewhere; this has caused the expanded Gruiformes to lack distinctive apomorphies. Recent studies indicate that these "odd Gruiformes" are if at all only loosely related to the cranes, rails, and relatives ("core Gruiformes").Phylogeny
ORDER GRUIFORMES
Family †Songziidae Hou, 1990
Genus †Songzia Hou, 1990
Suborder Grui
Superfamily Gruoidea Vigors, 1825
Family †Geranoididae  Wetmore, 1933
Family †Parvigruidae Mayr, 2005
Genus †Parvigrus Mayr, 2005
Genus †Rupelrallus Fischer, 1997
Family Aramidae Bonaparte, 1854 (limpkin)
Genus †Badistornis Wetmore, 1940
Genus Aramus Vieillot, 1816 [Courlili Buffon, 1781; Notherodius Wagler, 1827] (limpkins)
Family Psophiidae Bonaparte, 1831 (trumpeters)
Genus Psophia Linnaeus, 1758 
Family †Eogruidae Wetmore, 1934
Genus †Sonogrus Kuročkin, 1981
Genus †Eogrus Wetmore, 1932 [Progrus Bendukidze, 1971]
Subfamily †Ergilornithinae
Genus †Ergilornis Kozlova, 1960
Genus †Amphipelargus Lydekker, 1891
Genus †Urmiornis Mecquenem, 1908
Family Gruidae (cranes)
Genus †Camusia Seguí, 2002
Subfamily Balearicinae Brasil, 1913
Genus †Aramornis Wetmore, 1926
Genus †Geranopsis Lydekker, 1871
Genus †Eobalearica Gureev, 1949
Genus Balearica Brisson, 1760 [Geranarchus Gloger, 1842] (crowned cranes)
Subfamily Gruinae Vigors, 1825
Genus †"Grus" conferta Miller & Sibley, 1942 [Olson & Rasmussen, 2001]
Genus †"Probalearica" mongolica Kurochkin, 1985
Genus †Palaeogrus Portis, 1885 [Palaeogrus Salvadori, 1884 nomen nudum]
Genus Antigone (Linnaeus, 1758)
Genus Leucogeranus (Pallas, 1773)
Genus Grus Brisson, 1760 non Moehring, 1758 [Anthropoides Vieillot, 1816; Bugeranus Gloger, 1841; Megalornis Gray, 1841; Leucogeranus Bonaparte, 1855; Mathewsena Iredale, 1914; Mathewsia Iredale, 1911; Limnogeranus Sharpe, 1893; Laomedontia Reichenbach, 1852; Philorchemon Gloger, 1842; Scops Gray, 1840 non Moehring, 1758 non Bruennich, 1772 npn Savigny, 1809] (cranes)
Suborder Ralli
Family †Aptornithidae (adzebills)
Family Sarothruridae (flufftails)
Genus Mentocrex Peters, 1933 (wood rails)
Genus Sarothrura Heine, 1890 non Hasselt, 1823 [Corethrura Reichenbach, 1849 non Hope, 1843 non Gray, 1846; Daseioura Penhallurick, 2003] (flufftails)
Family Heliornithidae Gray, 1841 (finfoots and sungrebe)
Genus Heliopais Sharpe, 1893  (Asian/masked finfoots)
Genus Podica Lesson, 1831 [Rhigelura Wagler, 1832; Podoa Bonaparte, 1857 non Illiger, 1811] (African finfoots)
Genus Heliornis Bonnaterre, 1791 [Podoa Illiger, 1811 non Bonaparte, 1857; Plotoides Brookes, 1830; Podia Swainson, 1837] (sungrebe, American finfoot)
Family Rallidae (crakes, moorhens, gallinules, and rails)
Genus †Aletornis Marsh, 1872 [Protogrus]
Genus †Australlus Worthy & Boles, 2011
Genus †Baselrallus De Pietri & Mayr, 2014
Genus †Belgirallus Mayr & Smith, 2001
Genus †Capellirallus Falla, 1954 (snipe-billed rail)
Genus †Creccoides Shufeldt, 1892
Genus †Eocrex Wetmore, 1931
Genus †Euryonotus Mercerat, 1897
Genus †Fulicaletornis Lambrecht, 1933
Genus †Hovacrex Brodkorb, 1965 (Hova gallinule)
Genus †Ibidopsis Lydekker, 1891
Genus †Latipons Harrison & Walker, 1979
Genus †Miofulica Lambrecht, 1933
Genus †Miorallus Lambrecht, 1933
Genus †Nesophalaris Brodkorb  & Dawson, 1962
Genus †Palaeoaramides Lambrecht, 1933
Genus †Palaeorallus Wetmore, 1931
Genus †Paraortygometra Lambrecht, 1933
Genus †Parvirallus Harrison & Walker, 1979
Genus †Pastushkinia Zelenkov, 2013
Genus †Quercyrallus Lambrecht, 1933
Genus †Rallicrex Lambrecht, 1933 
Genus †Rhenanorallus Mayr, 2010
Genus †Vitirallus Worthy, 2004 (Viti Levu rails)
Genus †Wanshuina Hou, 1994
Genus †Youngornis Yeh, 1981
Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. [Fulica podagrica (partim)] (Barbados rail)
Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Easter Island rail)
Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Fernando de Noronha rail)
Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Tahitian "goose”)
Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. (Bokaak "bustard")
Genus †Rallidae gen. et sp. indet. ('Amsterdam Island' rail)
Genus Rougetius Bonaparte, 1856 (Rouget's Rails)
Subfamily Rallinae Rafinesque, 1815
Genus †Pleistorallus Worthy, 1997 (Fleming's rails)
Genus Anurolimnas Sharpe, 1893 (Chestnut-headed Crakes)
Genus Biensis (Madagascan Rails)
Genus Rallicula Schlegel, 1871 [Corethruropsis Salvadori, 1876] (forest-rails)
Genus Rallus Linnaeus, 1758 [†Epirallus Miller, 1942]
Genus †Aphanapteryx von Frauenfeld, 1868 [Pezocrex Hachisuka, 1953] (Mauritius/Red rails)
Genus †Erythromachus Milne-Edwards, 1873 (Rodriquez rails)
Genus Dryolimnas Sharpe, 1893
Genus Crex Bechstein, 1803 [Crecopsis Sharpe, 1893] (greater crakes)
Genus Lewinia Gray, 1855 [Aramidopsis Sharpe, 1893; Donacias Heine & Reichenow, 1890; Hyporallus Iredale & Mathews, 1926]
Genus Canirallus Bonaparte, 1856 (grey-throated rail)
Genus Gymnocrex Salvadori, 1875 (bare-faced rails)
Genus Gallirallus Lafresnaye, 1841 [Tricholimnas Sharpe, 1893; Nesoclopeus Peters, 1932; Cabalus Hutton, 1874; Habropteryx Stresemann, 1932; Eulabeornis Gould, 1844; †Diaphorapteryx Forbes, 1893; Hypotaenidia Reichenbach, 1853; Sylvestrornis Mathews, 1928]
Subfamily Gallinulinae Gray, 1840
Tribe Pardirallini Livezey, 1998 [Aramidinae] (Wood-rails & allies)
Genus Pardirallus Bonaparte, 1856 [Ortygonax Heine, 1890]
Genus Mustelirallus Bonaparte, 1858 [Neocrex Sclater & Salvin, 1869; Cyanolimnas Barbour & Peters, 1927]
Genus Amaurolimnas Sharpe 1893 (Rufous rails; Uniform crakes)
Genus Aramides Pucheran, 1845
Tribe Gallinulini Gray, 1840 [Fulicarinae (Nitzsch, 1820) sensu Livezey, 1998]
Genus Tribonyx Du Bus de Gisignies, 1840 [Brachyptrallus Lafresnaye, 1840; Microtribonyx Sharpe, 1893] (native-hens)
Genus Porzana Vieillot, 1816 [Limnobaenus Sundevall, 1872; Phalaridion Kaup, 1829; Porzanoidea Mathews, 1912; Porzanoides Condon, 1975; Rallites Pucheran, 1845; Schoenocrex Roberts, 1922; Porphyriops Pucheran, 1845]
Genus Paragallinula Sangster, García-R & Trewick, 2015 (Lesser Moorhen)
Genus Gallinula Brisson, 1760 [Hydrogallina Lacépède, 1799; Stagnicola Brehm, 1831; Porphyriornis Allen, 1892 Pareudiastes Hartlaub & Finsch, 1871 Edithornis]
Genus Fulica Linnaeus, 1758 [†Palaeolimnas Forbes, 1893]
Subfamily Porphyrioninae Reichenbach, 1849
Tribe Porphyrionini Reichenbach, 1849 (Purple gallinules & swamphens)
Genus †Aphanocrex Wetmore, 1963 (St. Helena swamphens)
Genus Porphyrio Brisson, 1760 [Notornis Owen, 1848]
Tribe Himantornithini Bonaparte, 1856 (Bush-hens & Waterhens)
Genus Himantornis Hartlaub, 1855 (Nkulenga rails)
Genus Megacrex D'Albertis & Salvadori, 1879 (New Guinea Flightless Rails)
Genus Aenigmatolimnas (Striped Crakes)
Genus Gallicrex Blyth, 1852 [Gallinulopha Bonaparte, 1854; Hypnodes Reichenbach, 1853] (Watercocks)
Genus Amaurornis Reichenbach, 1853 [Erythra Reichenbach, 1853; Pisynolimnas Heine & Reichenow, 1890; Poliolimnas Sharpe, 1893] (Bush-hen)
Tribe Zaporniini Des Murs, 1860 (Old world crakes)
Genus Rallina Gray, 1846 [Euryzona Gray, 1855; Tomirdus Mathews, 1912] (chestnut-rails)
Genus Zapornia Stephens, 1824 [Limnocorax Peters, 1854; Limnobaenus;  Corethrura Grey, 1846]
Tribe Laterallini Tif, 2014 (New world crakes)
Genus Micropygia Bonaparte, 1856 (Ocellated Crakes)
Genus Rufirallus (russet-crowned crake)
Genus Laterallus Gray, 1855 (ruddy crakes)
Genus Coturnicops Gray, 1855 (barred-backed crakes)
Genus Hapalocrex (Yellow-breasted Crakes)
Genus Limnocrex
Genus Mundia Bourne, Ashmole & Simmons, 2003 (Ascension Island Crakes)
Genus Creciscus Cabanis, 1857 [Atlantisia Lowe, 1923] (blackish crakes)
Not placed in family
Genus †Nesotrochis Wetmore, 1918 (West Indian cave-rails)When considered to be monophyletic, it was assumed that Gruiformes was among the more ancient of avian lineages. The divergence of "gruiforms" among "Metaves" and "Coronaves" is proposed to be the first divergence among Neoaves, far predating the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event c. 66 mya (Houde 2009). No unequivocal basal gruiforms are known from the fossil record. However, there are several genera that are not unequivocally assignable to the known families and that may occupy a more basal position:
type of example of manifestation of representation of