Researchers Sequence Golden Eagle Genome

Scientists at Purdue and West Virginia University have recently sequenced the genome of the golden eagle. This has provided them with copious amounts of information that we did not know about the golden eagle  before. Information from this sequencing will help immensely in preserving the golden eagle.



One example of this information helping preserve the golden eagle relates to wind turbine related deaths. A suggestion to reduce the number of wind turbine related deaths of golden eagles was to paint the wind turbines with a coat of ultraviolet paint. This was suggested because we thought the eagles' sight was in the ultraviolet range, but it is actually in the violet range, like us humans.

The researches also found that golden eagles have more genes relating to smell than we previously knew. This indicates that the eagles might use smell to catch their prey more than we thought. Scientists used this genome sequencing to put together a sort of fingerprint for the eagles, allowing them to track specific eagles and determine population size and flux.

NOS Themes:
     Science is collaborative - scientists from Purdue and West Virginia University work on this.
     Science is based on evidence - the researchers used the sequenced genome to figure out the role of smell in the eagles' hunting.

Link: http://thrumyeye.deviantart.com/art/The-Gosling-the-Daisy-and-New-Blog-449741096
Sebastian Deibel