Chromosome-level reference genome assembly of the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) and population genomics offer insights into the falcon population in Mongolia.

ABSTRACT: The taxonomic classification of a falcon population found in the Mongolian Altai region in Asia has been heavily debated for two centuries and previous studies have been inconclusive, hindering a more informed conservation approach. Here, we generated a chromosome-level gyrfalcon reference genome using the Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP) assembly pipeline. Using whole genome sequences of 49 falcons from different species and populations, including "Altai" falcons, we analyzed their population structure, admixture patterns, and demographic history. We find that the Altai falcons are genomic mosaics of saker and gyrfalcon ancestries, and carry distinct W and mitochondrial haplotypes that cluster with the lanner falcon. The Altai maternally-inherited haplotypes diverged 422,000 years before

SUBMITTER: Al-Ajli FO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11790892 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature