DNA secrets will help golden eagles thrive
Scientists map birds’ full genetic profile, revealing how they survive and aiding conservation work
GOLDEN eagles are facing a brighter future after scientists mapped their entire genome for the first time.
The breakthrough will help conservationists understand how the birds’ DNA allows them survive in various habitats, so reintroductions and translocations can be more successful.
Golden eagles were once common across Britain, but numbers had fallen considerably by the 19th century, and pesticides used in the Sixties saw populations drop to just a few hundred breeding pairs.
Although recent conservation efforts mean the birds are now listed as “of least concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, there are still only 508 breeding pairs in the UK, largely restricted to the Scottish Highlands and islands. The South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project is trying to boost the isolated population in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway and the genome data will help experts pick the most suitable birds.
Dr Rob Ogden, of the University of Edinburgh, said: “Previous genetic techniques allowed us to investigate differences between golden eagle populations but we don’t understand what these differences mean.
“Access to the new golden eagle reference genome will help us to understand this genetic variation and start to explain how golden eagle populations are adapted to specific habitats, climates or food. This type of information is important when planning conservation management activities such as translocations or reintroductions.”
The golden eagle’s is the first of 25 genomes that scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Edinburgh University are trying to map to find out why invasive plants and animals are thriving while indigenous species are struggling.
The project could reveal why some brown trout migrate to the open ocean, while others stay put, or shed light on why red squirrels are vulnerable to the squirrel pox virus, yet grey squirrels can carry and spread the virus without becoming ill.
To map the full DNA code, scientists from the University of Edinburgh’s Royal School of Veterinary Studies sent golden eagle samples to the Wellcome Sanger Institute near Cambridge, which worked out the sequence.
Dr Kerstin Howe, senior scientific manager at the institute, said: “It’s fantastic to see the completion of the golden eagle genome sequence. We are developing new techniques that will ultimately improve the way we sequence and assemble many other species, including humans, in the years to come.”
Golden eagles have a wingspan of more than 6ft and can live up to 25 years. Their recovery in the past decade is the result of increased monitoring, satellite tagging and stronger sanctions against wildlife crime.
Earlier this month, three chicks were transported from eyries in the Highlands to a secret location in the Moffat Hills, in the Southern Uplands.