title: Molecular phylogeny and systematics of selected taxa  of diurnal raptors and owls
creator: Starikov, Ivan J.
subject: ddc-590
subject: 590 Zoological sciences
description: This Doctoral thesis is focused on the phylogenetical position and evolutionary history of several groups of raptors based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Elaninae Kites are tropical diurnal raptors traditionally considered as an early and relatively primitive subfamily, which is phylogenetically distant from other Accipitridae. Obtained results confirm the basal position of Elaninae, apparently separated in Middle Eocene. Cytological, morphological, and ecological data together with DNA data show the singularity of Elaninae. The elevating of this group to family level as Elanidae within the order Accipitriformes is recommended. Scissor-Tailed Kite, not sequenced before, unambiguously belongs to this group as well as Pearl Kite having special features forming its own monotypic subfamily Gampsonychinae that is described as a taxon new to the science. The genetics of closely related Black and Yellow-Billed kites, that has sometimes considered as same Old World cosmopolite species, remains insufficient studied. The author and the collaborators obtained most part of sequences from these species during this project. Genetic features distinguish both species from each other. Black Kites haplogroups in general correspond well to subspecies, diverging in two main clades, European, presenting migrans, and Australasian which in its turn split to Northern Asian lineatus and Indian-Australian govinda/affinis. In contrast, Yellow-Billed Kite show two distant haplotype branches non-correlated with existing subspecies, further genetic research of this species is needed. Based on obtained data the general phylogeographic pattern of Black and Yellow-Billed kites and its history in Pleistocene is outlined. The taxonomy of the Little Owl, a Palearctic nocturnal raptor, is not completely clear and controversial; some of subspecies are occasionally treated as separate species. Seven currently accepted subspecies were analyzed. Most of the haplotypes are well geographically differentiated, two forms, European vidalii and Far Eastern plumipes are genetically distant from others and are recommended to be treated as proper species. Middle Eastern form lilith on the contrary have no significant differences with neighboring subspecies and should be not considered separately like previously suggested. The divergence of this species complex started in Pliocene. Actual Little Owl populations likely recently expanded like Black Kites which can be related with last glaciations. General phylogenetical questions are discussed in the conclusion.
date: 2023
type: Dissertation
type: info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserverhttps://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/32388/1/Dissertation%2B%2B%2B.pdf
identifier: DOI:10.11588/heidok.00032388
identifier: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-323885
identifier:   Starikov, Ivan J.  (2023) Molecular phylogeny and systematics of selected taxa of diurnal raptors and owls.  [Dissertation]     
relation: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/32388/
rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/help/license_urhg.html
language: eng