We report 1.3 kb of nitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence from the cytoch
rome-b, tRNA(Thr) and tRNA(Pro) genes for Sarus Grus antigone, Brolga
Grus rubicunda, White-naped Grus vipio and Japanese Grus japonensis Cr
anes. Previous morphological, behavioural and molecular studies have s
hown that the former three taxa comprise a monophyletic species group
but have been unable to resolve relationships among them. Phylogenetic
analysis of mtDNA sequences demonstrates that the Brolga and White-na
ped Crane haplotypes are most closely related. Estimates of the time b
etween successive speciation events, generation time and effective pop
ulation sizes suggest that there is potential for the mtDNA gene tree
to differ from the species tree due to lineage sorting. Genetic diverg
ences among haplotypes suggest that dispersal of ancestral Brolgas to
Australia probably occurred in the early Pleistocene.