Western Palearctic Falcons
The Falconidae family is a well-supported monophyletic group that radiated during the early Miocene (Sect. 1.1 ). This family is divided into three subfamilies (Herpetotherinae, Polyborinae, and Falconinae). Falconinae started to diversify between 12.6 an
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Western Palearctic Falcons
1.1 The Falconidae Family After a very long time, members of the Falconidae family were separated from the traditional large group of diurnal birds of prey that is comprised of eagles, hawks, the osprey, the secretary bird, and vultures (Accipitridae, Cathartidae, Sagittariidae, and Pandionidae families; Hackett et al. 2008). Indeed, falcons share a common ancestor with parrots (Psittaciformes), seriemas (Cariamiformes), and passerine birds (Passeriformes; Pyle 2013; Jarvis et al. 2014). In fact, both morphological and molecular studies suggested that apparent similarities among ‘raptors’ should be due to a convergent evolution (Hackett et al. 2008; McCormack et al. 2013; Yuri et al. 2013). Thus, many analogous features including strong beaks and sharp talons evolved independently in different lineages (cf. Australaves and Afroaves) or presumably from an even more ancient landbird ancestor (Telluraves) with a raptorial lifestyle (McClure et al. 2019). Overall, the Falconidae is a well-supported monophyletic group that rapidly radiated from South America during the early Miocene, the first geological epoch of the Neogene period (ca. 23 to 16 million years ago; Fig. 1.1; Fuchs et al. 2015; Cenizo et al. 2016). The global change from sub-tropical forested environments to cooler climates favoured new habitat types such as temperate forests, grasslands, and steppes (Blondel and Mourer-Chauviré 1998). Then, falcons dispersed into Europe via North America in the mid to late Cenozoic Era. Nevertheless, after the initial burst, the diversification process slowed down. This plausible scenario, based both on bone characteristics and genetics, also suggests an origin of Falconidae from primitive Neotropical forms (Fuchs et al. 2015; Cenizo et al. 2016). In fact, extant species are concentrated in the Neotropics except the Afro-Asian falconets (Microhierax and Polihierax genus) and the worldwide distributed genus Falco (Ericson 2012). Accordingly, an early fossil from the Lower Eocene (56 to 33.9 million years ago) found in Antarctica reinforces this hypothesis about a Neotropical or Austral origin of this group (Cenizo et al. 2016). © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 G. Leonardi, Behavioural Ecology of Western Palearctic Falcons, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60541-4_1
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1 Western Palearctic Falcons
Fig. 1.1 The diversification of the family Falconidae into three subfamilies (Herpetotherinae, Polyborinae, and Falconinae). The Polyborinae were sisters to the Falconinae. Among the Falconinae group, Microhierax and Polihierax genera split earlier than the genus Falco (Fuchs et al. 2015; Cenizo et al. 2016). From left to right: Polihierax semitorquatus (credit: Derek Keats/ Wikipedia); Microhierax caerulescens (credit: Raju Kasambe/Wikipedia); Falco rusticolus (credit: Ólafur Larsen/Wikipedia); Caracara plancus (credit: Dario Sanches/Wikipedia); Herpetotheres cachinnans (credit: Bernard Dupont/Wikipedia)
This family, divided into 3 subfamilies (Herpetotherinae, Polyborinae, and Fal
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