A MTDNA PHYLOGENY OF SEA EAGLES (GENUS HALIAEETUS) BASED ON NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCES OF THE CYTOCHROME 6-GENE

The mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of seven species of sea eagles H. albicilla, H. leucocephalus, H. leucoryphus, H. leucogaster, H. sanfor di, H. pelagicus and H. vocifer was amplified by PCR and sequenced (10 26 bp). Phylogeny reconstructions by the Maximum Parsimony and Neighbo ur-Joining methods produced similar trees in which sea eagles represen t a monophyletic group. In addition. the clade H. albicilla/H. leucoce phalus groups with the clade H. pelagicus/H. leucoryphus in a monophyl etic boreal group while H. vocifer clusters with the H. leucogaster/H. sanfordi clade in a monophyletic tropical clade. The nearest relative s of sea eagles are the kites (genus Milvus) and buzzards (genus Buteo ). whereas 'booted' eagles (genus Aquila) and vultures (genera Gyps an d Aegypius) have diverged earlier from the accipitrid branch. Honey bu ssards (genus Pernis) and vultures of the genera Gypaetus and Neophron represent basal taxa of the accipitrid lineage. Falcons, New World vu ltures and the secretary bird (Sagittarius) appear in separate clades outside the Accipitridae. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd