Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are found throughout the northern hemisphere. In the United States, nesting and migratory golden eagles can be found in the western part of the country, while migratory individuals can be found in the east. Unfortunately, the eastern US population was extirpated due to anthropogenic stressors. In Oklahoma, nesting pairs are found in the western part of the state while migratory and nomadic individuals can be found throughout the state.  

 

Although golden eagles are the national symbol for many countries and are highly regarded in many cultures, they have not escaped anthropogenic stressors. Golden eagles throughout the world face many stressors such as habitat loss, electrocutions, wind turbines, illegal shootings, and lead poisoning. Populations around the world in areas such as east of the Mississippi, Ireland, Alpine foothills and lowlands of Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland have been extirpated. Currently in the United States, while studies indicate the western population as a whole is stable, other studies show severe declines in populations throughout the west. These extirpations and bottlenecks can lead to inbreeding depression and loss of genetic variation. While the golden eagle is wide spread and highly regarded, there have been relatively few genetic studies done on golden eagles.

 

My golden eagle research aims to begin answering basic genomic questions about golden eagles. To use as a tool throughout my research, we sequenced the golden eagle genome at an 88x coverage along with its transcriptome. My first chapter utilizes the mitochondrial DNA of 124 golden eagles in the United States along with the results of other studies in the Nearctic/Palearctic to provide a deeper insight into the genetic variation and demographic history of golden eagles throughout the Holarctic. The citation for this chapter can be found below. My second chapter aims to develop genetically based conservation units for golden eagles in the Nearctic. Utilizing the ~37,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) I developed, I hope to provide insight into the best management practices for golden eagles, determine regions of the genome under selection, be able to identify the natal location of eagles and their parts, and provide tools for forensics purposes (citations #2 and #3). I am also a member of the US Fish and Wildlife Golden Eagle Landscape Genomics Working Group and I greatly appreciate all of the help from the other members of this group which have aided me in obtaining samples and insights for my research.

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Golden Eagle Publications

3. Judkins, M.E., Roemer, G.W., Millsap, B.A., Barnes, J.G., Bedrosian, B.E., Clark S.L., Domenech,

R., Herring, G., Lamont, M., Smith, B.W.,  Stahlecker, D.W., Stuber, M.J., Warren, W.C., Van

Den Bussche, R.A. (2023) A 37K SNP Array for the Management and Conservation of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). Conservation Genetics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-023-01508-3

 

2. Judkins, M.E. & Van Den Bussche, R.A. (2018) Holarctic phylogeography of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) and evaluation of alternative North American management approaches. Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society. 123(2): 471-482.

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1. Van Den Bussche, R.A., Judkins, M.E., Montague, M.J. & Warren, W.C. (2017) A resource of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) for the conservation and management of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). Journal of Raptor Research. 51(3): 368-377.

 

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For more information about my third and fourth chapters, please visit my bald eagle research page.