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Distinctive mitogenomic lineages within populations of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla)
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  • Charles Christian Hansen,
  • Sina Baleka,
  • Sólveig Guðjónsdóttir,
  • Jacob Rasmussen,
  • Jesus Ballesteros,
  • Gunnar Hallgrimsson,
  • Robert Stefansson,
  • Menja von Schmalensee,
  • Kristinn Skarphédinsson,
  • Aili Labansen,
  • Madis Leivits,
  • Kim Skelmose,
  • Christian Sonne,
  • Rune Dietz,
  • David Boetmann,
  • Igor Eulaers,
  • Michael Martin,
  • Snaebjorn Palsson
Charles Christian Hansen
University of Iceland

Corresponding Author:ccr3@hi.is

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Sina Baleka
University of Iceland
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Sólveig Guðjónsdóttir
University of Iceland
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Jacob Rasmussen
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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Jesus Ballesteros
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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Gunnar Hallgrimsson
University of Iceland School of Engineering and Natural Sciences
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Robert Stefansson
West-Iceland Nature Research Centre
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Menja von Schmalensee
West-Iceland Nature Research Centre
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Kristinn Skarphédinsson
Iceland Institute of Natural History
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Aili Labansen
Greenland Institute of Natural Resources
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Madis Leivits
Estonian University of Life Sciences
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Kim Skelmose
Natural History Museum of Denmark
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Christian Sonne
Aarhus Universitet
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Rune Dietz
Aarhus Universitet
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David Boetmann
Aarhus Universitet
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Igor Eulaers
Aarhus Universitet
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Michael Martin
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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Snaebjorn Palsson
University of Iceland
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Abstract

Using whole mitochondrial DNA sequences from 89 white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) sampled from Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Denmark and Estonia between 1990-2018, we investigate the mitogenomic variation within and between countries. We show that there is a substantial population differentiation between the countries, reflecting similar major phylogeographic patterns obtained previously for the control region of the mitochondria, which suggested two main refugia during the last glacial period of Ice Age. Distinct mitogenomic lineages are observed within countries which divergence times exceeds the time since last glacial period of Ice Age ended. The lineages appear to have been maintained by natural selection. An excess of segregating amino acids in comparison with number of fixations, as revealed by the neutrality index suggests a load of deleterious mutations. The maintenance of mtDNA lineages within countries inflates our estimates of effective national population sizes and the times of their divergence.