Genética da conservação do gavião-real (Harpia harpyja, Linnaeus, 1758) no Brasil

Abstract

The Harpy Eagle, also known as the “harpia” or “uiraçu”, is the largest eagle in the Americas, occurring in tropical forests of Central and South America and depending on these environments for its survival. In Brazil, the Harpy Eagle is mainly found in the Amazon Rainforest and the Atlantic Forest, with rare records in the central region of Brazil. Hunting and forest fragmentation threaten its existence, leading this species to be classified as endangered, listed as Vulnerable throughout its distribution. Conservation Genetics aims to preserve endangered or threatened species, and the collection of genetic information can be carried out using molecular markers such as microsatellites (SSRs), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and mitochondrial DNA. These markers are commonly used in Conservation Genetics to understand the species evolutionary history, assess genetic diversity and the presence of population structure, and develop appropriate management strategies to preserve the existing genetic variability over time and space. Management can be carried out in the species natural habitat (in situ) as well as in zoos and conservation breeding centers (ex situ). For the Harpy Eagle, in situ actions focus on protecting the species nests and territories, while ex situ actions mainly involve rescuing, rehabilitating, providing care for injured individuals, and breeding in captivity. In this study, we developed ten new microsatellite loci specific to the Harpy Eagle, showing high polymorphism and the ability to exclude parentage and individual identification, primarily aiding ex situ management (Chapter I). The developed loci showed no null alleles, no linkage disequilibrium, and only four loci deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations. Additionally, they demonstrated efficiency in excluding the likely parents of an individual, performing individual identification, and detecting levels of relatedness among individuals. Thus, this new set of microsatellites can be used to assist in guiding ex situ management strategies, aiming for better reproductive pairings, maintaining genetic diversity, and avoiding inbreeding and outbreeding depression. In this study, we also investigated the presence of genetic structure for the Harpy Eagle in Brazil using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the mitogenome generated through low-coverage sequencing (Chapter II). Regarding the SNPs, all the pipelines used retrieved a weak signal of genetic structure for the Harpy Eagle in Brazil. The DiscoSnpRad pipeline demonstrated greater effectiveness in handling low-coverage sequencing, retrieving significant and consistent information with the results found through the mitogenome. The population located north of the Amazon River showed greater genetic differentiation, while the populations located south of the Amazon River and in the Atlantic Forest showed genetic similarities. Thus, the results obtained in the two chapters developed in this study provide molecular tools and information that assist in guiding management strategies and decision-making for the in situ and ex situ conservation of the Harpy Eagle.