Genetic variability in the Iberian imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) demonstrated by RAPD analysis

RAPD analysis was used to estimate the genetic diversity in an Iberian imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) population, one of the most threatened bird species in the world. Forty-five of 60 arbitrarily designed primers amplified 614 loci in 25 individual eagles, 59.7% of which were polymorphic. In contrast to the traditional allozyme analysis performed in a previous study, the RAPD method has revealed a high level of heterozygosity in this species (H = 0.267+/-0.008). The genetic distances estimated between 25 eagles can serve to establish more adequate mating in order to preserve genetic variability. Conservation efforts being carried out in Spain in this species might be successful based on the results obtained in the present work.