2009/04/27 by Ingrid Seibold, Andreas J. Helbig · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Genetic diversity and population structure #Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies #Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy #Biology #Phylogenetic tree #Mitochondrial DNA #Zoology #Genus #Cytochrome b #Evolutionary biology #Phylogenetics #Clade #Gene #Genetics
paper · doi:10.1111/j.1439-0469.1996.tb00815.x
openalex publication_date 2009/04/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
The relationships of eight extant species of sea eagles (genus Haliaeetus) and some potentially related Accipitrid genera were investigated. A phylogenetic hypothesis is developed based on morphological characters and allozyme data, which is then contrasted with a reconstruction based on 1071 nucleotides of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b and part of one tRNA gene). Phylogenies derived from the three data sets are largely congruent, although several aspects are supported by only one kind of evidence (but not contradicted by the others). Only with regard to the position of south-east Asian H. leucogaster and its closely related sister species H. sanfordi was there conflict between allozyme and mtDNA data. The position of H. pelagicus relative to H. leucoryphus or H. albicilla/leucocephalus could not be resolved with the mtDNA sequence data, suggesting that some speciation events occurred in relatively quick succession during the early Pliocene or late Miocene periods. Available evidence suggests that extant sea eagles originated at tropical latitudes, the northernmost species appearing most derived.