Phylogeny of Falconidae and phylogeography of Peregrine Falcons

Abstract

We first examine how falcons can be integrated into avian tree of life. Then we go one step further and investigate the position of Peregrine Falcons in a comprehensive phylogeny of the falcons (genus Falco), which was reconstructed on the basis of DNA sequences. Whether the 19 subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon can be identified genetically is examined in the next step. Recently, the question of Peregrine Falcon’s genetics in Central Europe has become of wider interest. Which subspecies was present before the collapse of populations and which currently after various reintroduction projects? Evidence is provided, that Central Europe constitutes a (natural) hybrid zone between F. p. brookei from the Mediterranean and F. p. peregrinus of northern Europe.

Conservation genetics of regionally extinct peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) and unassisted recovery without genetic bottleneck in southern England

“…Based on mtDNA, the UK post-pesticide population also showed lower number of polymorphic sites and nucleotide diversity values than the pre-pesticide population. UK-pre had two haplotypes not found elsewhere in our samples, which could represent a significant loss of haplotype diversity; however, there was very low genetic differentiation in mtDNA control region overall, as previously described in cytochrome b in peregrine falcons (Wink 2019).…”

“…Feather samples were obtained from North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany (wild free-living peregrine falcons, N = 44). In Germany, peregrines were extirpated during the 1950’s and 60’s with only around 40 pairs remaining, these in the south of the country (Saar 1988) where there was an assisted reintroduction of just over 1000 captive bred birds comprising some F. p. brookei but predominantly F. p. peregrinus (Saar 1988; Wink 2019). Feathers samples were taken from randomly selected domestic birds from different breeding lines from various breeders (‘peregrines’ bred from a mix of races and subspecies of F. peregrinus and sibling species, including F. p. pelegrionides and F. p. babylonicus , of largely unknown provenance; N = 30).…”

“…The German peregrine population was also extirpated during the 1950’s and 60’s with only around 40 pairs remaining, these in the south of the country (Saar 1988). The recovery in North Rhine–Westphalia and other German regions was assisted by the reintroduction of just over 1000 captive bred birds comprising some F. p. brookei but predominantly F. p. peregrinus (Saar 1988; Wink 2019). Wenger et al (2009) speculates that the North Rhine-Westphalia population underwent a genetic bottleneck and predicted low genetic diversity, confirmed using microsatellites (Volkhausen 2007).…”

“…Its relative proximity to F. p. peregrinus populations in UK and mainland Europe makes it a potential candidate as a source of immigrants into depleted post-pesticide F. p. peregrinus populations. Further, Wink (2019) using mtDNA cytochrome b data suggests that western Europe represents a zone of integration between these two sub-species and intermediate populations have also been recorded along the French-Spanish Pyrenees (Zuberogoitia et al 2009).…”

“…In this study we used a combination of mitochondrial (mtDNA) and microsatellite markers to examine the levels of genetic diversity and genetic structure for the population of peregrine falcons in the English south coast before their local extinction between 1955 and 1958 (pre-pesticide extinction) and since their repopulation of the area (post-pesticide recovery), to explain the origins of the recently recovered Sussex peregrines. For this, we analysed genetic data of: 1) a historic sample of peregrine falcons from museum specimens collected from the English south coast before the population crash of the mid 1950’s, 2) UK domestic-bred peregrines freely available for sale to falconers and therefore potentially vulnerable to loss into the wild population, 3) a German population which had an assisted recovery from local extinction by the release of very large numbers of captive-bred birds (Saar 1988; Wink 2019), 4) wild peregrines from the Republic of Ireland which had also experienced a population depletion in the 1960s and subsequent recovery (Ratcliffe 2003) but which has had no releases of captive-bred birds, and 5) a small sample of Mediterranean peregrines ( F. p. brookei ) which are a near geographical neighbour and thought to have contributed in some part to the recovery of the German peregrine population (Wink 2019).…”