Abstract:Cranes (Gruidae) have elaborate vocal displays in communication. We measured sound characteristic from total 15 species within Gruidae. Six variables were measured: duration of note, number of elements within note, minimum frequency of fundamental, maximum frequency of fundamental, minimum frequency of peak, maximum frequency of peak (Table 2). We used a princial component analysis to compress the original six sound variables into three comprehensive sound characteristic: fundamental frequency characteristic, peak frequency characteristic, temporal characteristic (Table 1). We estimated the ancestral sound characteristic by using phylogeny (Fig.3), and found positive relationship between temporal characteristic"s and body weight"s evolutionary changes (Loglinear model, Likelihood ratio = 9.69, P = 0.002; Cohen’s d = 1.48) (Fig.4). We didn"t find any relationship within evolutionary changes in sound characteristic (Loglinear model, Likelihood ratio ≤ 0.15, P ≥ 0.701; Cohen’s d ≤ 0.17) (Fig.5). Independent contrasts show positive relationship between temporal characteristic and body weight (Pearson correlation, r = -0.54, P = 0.048; Cohen’s d = 1.27), and negative relationship between peak frequency characteristic and body weight (Pearson correlation, r = -0.56, P = 0.036; Cohen’s d = 1.37)(Fig.6). Our results provide insight into how evolutionary changes in sound characteristic in a group of non-oscine bird (Gruidae).