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Genetic structure of an endangered raptor at individual and population levels

Ponnikas, Suvi LU ; Kvist, Laura LU ; Ollila, Tuomo ; Stjernberg, Torsten and Orell, Markku (2013) In Conservation Genetics 14(6). p.1135-1147
Abstract

The Finnish population of White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) has gone through two major demographic bottlenecks during the last two centuries. Strong conservation measures have allowed the population to recover, but despite the rapid population growth during recent years the species is still classified as endangered. We studied the genetic population structure at both individual and population levels in an attempt to recognize the processes shaping it. We used 9 microsatellite loci and 473 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region on samples collected between the years 2003 and 2007 (N = 489). We found a clear isolation by distance pattern at fine scale (i.e. individual level) which is most likely a result of... (More)

The Finnish population of White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) has gone through two major demographic bottlenecks during the last two centuries. Strong conservation measures have allowed the population to recover, but despite the rapid population growth during recent years the species is still classified as endangered. We studied the genetic population structure at both individual and population levels in an attempt to recognize the processes shaping it. We used 9 microsatellite loci and 473 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region on samples collected between the years 2003 and 2007 (N = 489). We found a clear isolation by distance pattern at fine scale (i.e. individual level) which is most likely a result of species' philopatric behaviour. Although we did not find signs of the recent bottlenecks, we did find evidence of an ancient bottleneck that has occurred most likely over 21,000 years ago, long before the genetic divergence of the two present Finnish subpopulations (one along the Baltic Sea coast line and another in Lapland and easternmost Finland). We conclude that the present population structure is mainly a consequence of the species philopatric behaviour over a long time period instead of recent population bottlenecks. Based on our results, the Finnish population seems to have ongoing immigration from neighbouring populations. Hence, even though the population has recovered mainly through local growth, our results suggest that gene flow from genetically differentiated populations have had an impact as well.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Bottleneck, Haliaeetus albicilla, Isolation by distance, Population structure, Raptors (birds of prey)
in
Conservation Genetics
volume
14
issue
6
pages
13 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:84887309505
ISSN
1566-0621
DOI
10.1007/s10592-013-0501-z
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1a1bdbf8-dda5-4f96-9586-5351151c1f39
date added to LUP
2016-09-20 17:34:33
date last changed
2022-01-30 06:08:17
@article{1a1bdbf8-dda5-4f96-9586-5351151c1f39,
  abstract     = {{<p>The Finnish population of White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) has gone through two major demographic bottlenecks during the last two centuries. Strong conservation measures have allowed the population to recover, but despite the rapid population growth during recent years the species is still classified as endangered. We studied the genetic population structure at both individual and population levels in an attempt to recognize the processes shaping it. We used 9 microsatellite loci and 473 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region on samples collected between the years 2003 and 2007 (N = 489). We found a clear isolation by distance pattern at fine scale (i.e. individual level) which is most likely a result of species' philopatric behaviour. Although we did not find signs of the recent bottlenecks, we did find evidence of an ancient bottleneck that has occurred most likely over 21,000 years ago, long before the genetic divergence of the two present Finnish subpopulations (one along the Baltic Sea coast line and another in Lapland and easternmost Finland). We conclude that the present population structure is mainly a consequence of the species philopatric behaviour over a long time period instead of recent population bottlenecks. Based on our results, the Finnish population seems to have ongoing immigration from neighbouring populations. Hence, even though the population has recovered mainly through local growth, our results suggest that gene flow from genetically differentiated populations have had an impact as well.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ponnikas, Suvi and Kvist, Laura and Ollila, Tuomo and Stjernberg, Torsten and Orell, Markku}},
  issn         = {{1566-0621}},
  keywords     = {{Bottleneck; Haliaeetus albicilla; Isolation by distance; Population structure; Raptors (birds of prey)}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1135--1147}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Conservation Genetics}},
  title        = {{Genetic structure of an endangered raptor at individual and population levels}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10592-013-0501-z}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10592-013-0501-z}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}