Mitochondrial DNA and nuclear microsatellites reveal high diversity and genetic structure in an avian top predator, the white-tailed sea eagle, in central Europe

Abstract

We analysed 123 white-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) from (primarily central) Europe with respect to variability and differentiation based on 499 bp of the mitochondrial control region and genotypes at seven unlinked nuclear microsatellites. Variability was high (overall expected heterozygosity, haplotype and nucleotide diversity being 0.70, 0.764 and 0.00698, respectively) and both marker systems showed a subdivision into two main genetic clusters (microsatellites) or haplogroups (mtDNA). In line with earlier analyses focusing on populations from northern and eastern Europe, as well as from Asia, we found a high level of admixture in Europe and no signs of a bottleneck -despite a severe decline of white-tailed sea eagle populations during the 20 th century. Europe is thus a global stronghold for this species not only with respect to the number of breeding pairs but also regarding the proportion of species-wide genetic diversity. Our dense sampling revealed a possibly clinal variation within central Europe from north-west to south-east that was reflected by the distribution of mtDNA haplotypes as well as the two microsatellite-based clusters. This population differentiation in central Europe probably originated from a geographically structured postglacial colonization and was later enhanced by recent demographic fluctuations.

Genetic structure confirms female-biased natal dispersal in the White-tailed Eagle population of the Carpathian Basin

“…Nevertheless, the species is philopatric, as showed both by mark-resight data (Helander 2003, Helander & Stjernberg 2003, Struwe-Juhl & Grünkorn 2007, Whitfield et al 2009a) and the presence of genetic structure at wide geographical range inferred from microsatellite data (Hailer et al 2007, Honnen et al 2010, Nemesházi et al 2016. Moreover, the Carpathian Basin population maintains a local, unique mitochondrial haplotype as well (Honnen et al 2010, Nemesházi et al 2016. Similar contradictions of fine-scale spatial genetic and mark-resight data were reported in a lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) population (Alcaide et al 2009), where the authors concluded, that rare occurrence of long-distance dispersal events overrode the genetic structure expected in the otherwise philopatric population.…”

“…When we analysed females and males separately, similar lack of fine-scale genetic structure was found, with even the slope ln(dist) being nonsignificant. Nevertheless, the species is philopatric, as showed both by mark-resight data (Helander 2003, Helander & Stjernberg 2003, Struwe-Juhl & Grünkorn 2007, Whitfield et al 2009a) and the presence of genetic structure at wide geographical range inferred from microsatellite data (Hailer et al 2007, Honnen et al 2010, Nemesházi et al 2016. Moreover, the Carpathian Basin population maintains a local, unique mitochondrial haplotype as well (Honnen et al 2010, Nemesházi et al 2016.…”

“…Despite their juvenile vagrancy, similarly to other large raptor species, WTEs are philopatric (i.e. they start breeding relatively close to their natal area), as supported by both ringing data (Helander 2003, Helander & Stjernberg 2003, StruweJuhl & Grünkorn 2007, Whitfield et al 2009a and genetic structure of their wild populations (Hailer et al 2007, Honnen et al 2010, Nemesházi et al 2016. Still, some level of long distance gene flow was recently suggested in the Carpathian Basin population (Nemesházi et al 2016).…”

Distinct and extinct: Genetic differentiation of the Hawaiian eagle

“…For comparison, data from recent phylogeographic studies of White-tailed Eagles (Hailer et al, 2006(Hailer et al, , 2007Honnen et al, 2010;Langguth et al, 2013;Ponnikas et al, 2013) were used, plus the sequence of a Steller's Sea Eagle (GenBank accession AM156946). Because no mtDNA control region samples from Bald Eagles were available on GenBank, we also sequenced 12 Bald Eagle nestlings from northern Wisconsin, each from a different nest.…”

“…Since the publication of Fleischer et al (2000), extensive studies have been conducted on the phylogeography of the White-tailed Eagle, examining the highly variable mtDNA control region (Hailer et al, 2006(Hailer et al, , 2007Honnen et al, 2010;Langguth et al, 2013;Ponnikas et al, 2013 Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 83 (2015) [40][41][42][43] Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r .…”