Absence of founder effect and evidence for adaptive divergence in a recently introduced insular population of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

A recent study on Anticosti Island, Québec, Canada, reveals that the introduced white-tailed deer population has not experienced a strong founder effect despite originating from just 220 individuals over 120 years ago. This is attributed to rapid population growth, resulting in a current population exceeding 160,000 individuals with high genetic diversity. The research used genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to analyze 8,518 high-quality SNPs, showing weak but significant genetic differentiation between the insular and mainland populations. Notably, the study identified loci linked to muscular function and lipid metabolism, suggesting potential local adaptation to Anticosti's environmental conditions. These findings provide insights into the population dynamics and adaptive divergence of white-tailed deer in insular ecosystems.

Fuller, J., Ferchaud, A.-L., Laporte, M., Le Luyer, J., Davis, T. B., Côté, S. D., & Bernatchez, L. (2019). Absence of founder effect and evidence for adaptive divergence in a recently introduced insular population of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Molecular Ecology, 29(1), 86–104. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15317