If this observed trait difference were due to a difference in the original colonizing population, it would most likely be due to a founder effect.
Explanation:
According to population genetics, the founder effect can be explained based on the occurrence of loss/reduction of genetic variation when a new population is established by less number of beings from larger population.
The founder effect explains that the difference in trait is due to the difference in original colonizing population. The founder effect is the major cause of genetic drift which may lead to evolutionary divergence from the ancestral population.