119.
Background
Populations of the Oriental White-backed Vulture (
Gyps bengalensis) have declined by over 95% within the past decade. This decline is largely due to incidental consumption of the non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory veterinary pharmaceutical diclofenac, commonly used to treat domestic livestock. The conservation status
of other
Gyps vultures in southern Asia is also of immediate concern, given the lack of knowledge regarding status of their populations
and the continuing existence of taxonomic uncertainties. In this study, we assess phylogenetic relationships for all recognized
species and the majority of subspecies within the genus
Gyps. The continuing veterinary use of diclofenac is an unknown but potential risk to related species with similar feeding habits
to
Gyps bengalensis. Therefore, an accurate assessment of the phylogenetic relationships among
Gyps vultures should aid in their conservation by clarifying taxonomic uncertainties, and enabling inference of their respective
relatedness to susceptible
G. bengalensis.
相似文献