Discussion
This is the first study to document the genetic diversity of the
white-tailed deer population on St. John. This population is
characterized by a small number of animals in its founder population, a
lack of hunting or predation, and a recent extended drought. Despite
these factors, the levels of heterozygosity for this population were
unexpectedly high when compared to those of mainland populations, and
there was no evidence of inbreeding. We propose three potential
hypotheses in an attempt to explain the level of heterozygosity
currently seen within the St. John deer population.