anserinae

{{For|other waterbirds, mainly related to the shelducks, that have "goose" as part of their name|Anatidae|Goose}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = Middle Miocene to present

| image = Geese Fruggo01.JPG

| image_caption = Domestic European geese
Anser anser domesticus

| taxon = Anserinae

| authority = Vigors, 1825

| subdivision_ranks = Genera

| subdivision = See text

| synonyms = Cygninae

}}

The Anserinae are a subfamily in the waterfowl family Anatidae. It includes the swans and the true geese. Under alternative systematical concepts (see e.g., Terres & NAS, 1991), it is split into two subfamilies, the Anserinae contain the geese and the ducks, while the Cygninae contain the swans.

Systematics

Swans (Tribe Cygnini){{Cite web |title=Fossilworks: Cygninae |url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=110289 |access-date=2022-04-29 |website=Paleobiology Database}}

Genus Cygnus – true swans: The black-and-yellow-billed swans are sometimes separated in the genus Olor.
Genus †Afrocygnus (Miocene of North Africa)
Genus †Annakacygna – short-winged swans (Miocene of Japan)
Genus †Megalodytes (Miocene of California)

True geese (Tribe Anserini)

Genus Anser – grey and white geese
Genus Branta – black geese (including †B. rhuax, formerly placed in Geochen)

Unresolved

Genus Coscoroba – coscoroba swan

These two genera are distinct from other geese and often elevated to a subfamily of their own (Cereopsinae), or alternatively into the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae:

Tribe Cereopseini

Genus Cereopsis – Cape Barren goose
Genus †Cnemiornis – New Zealand geese (prehistoric)

Some enigmatic subfossils of very large goose-like birds from the Hawaiian Islands do not appear to be moa-nalos (goose-sized dabbling ducks) or B. rhuax. They cannot be assigned to any genus living today, though both may be fairly close to Branta:

Very large Hawaiʻian goose, ?Branta sp.{{cite journal |last1=Olson|first1=S.L. |last2=James|first2=H.F.|year=1991|title=Descriptions of thirty two new species of birds from the Hawaiian Islands: Part I. Non-Passeriformes|journal=AOU Ornithological Monographs|volume=45|pages=1-88}}
Giant Oʻahu goose, Anatidae sp. et gen. indet.

References

Terres, John K. & National Audubon Society (1991): The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds. Wings Books, New York. {{ISBN|0-517-03288-0}}

anserinae

Systematics

References

Further reading