This study investigates the possibility of genetic diversity between geographically separated demes of Cercopithecus aethiops on the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. The island of St. Kitts was represented by two geographic demes, one from the Northern tip of the island and one from the Southern tip of the island. The island of Nevis was considered as one separate deme. / Eight plasma proteins were analyzed with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A preliminary DNA investigation was also completed. / Three of the plasma proteins--transferrin, albumin, and an unidentified protein that migrated faster than albumin--appeared to be monomorphic. Three proteins in the alpha globulin region (between transferrin and albumin) and pseudocholinesterase were polymorphic in the total population. The DNA locus identified by the Human Molecular Fingerprinting #1 probe (locus D1Z2) was also polymorphic in all demes. / The levels of heterozygosity for North Island, South Island, and Nevis were 2.02%, 2.49%, and 2.49% respectively. / North and South Island demes were more similar to each other than either was to the Nevis deme. The South Island deme was more unlike Nevis than the North Island deme. These figures do not provide sufficient genetic evidence to evaluate divergence within the West Indian vervets according to geography.

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