Mesozoic origin and 'out-of-India' radiation of ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae).

The Indian subcontinent has an origin geologically different from Eurasia, but many terrestrial animal and plant species on it have congeneric or sister species in other parts of Asia, especially in the Southeast. This faunal and floral similarity between India and Southeast Asia is explained by either of the two biogeographic scenarios, 'into-India' or 'out-of-India'. Phylogenies based on complete mitochondrial genomes and five nuclear genes were undertaken for ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae) to examine which of these two biogeographic scenarios fits better. We found that Oryzias setnai, the only adrianichthyid distributed in and endemic to the Western Ghats, a mountain range running parallel to the western coast of the Indian subcontinent, is sister to all other adrianichthyids from eastern India and Southeast-East Asia. Divergence time estimates and ancestral area reconstructions reveal that this western Indian species diverged in the late Mesozoic during the northward drift of the Indian subcontinent. These findings indicate that adrianichthyids dispersed eastward 'out-of-India' after the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Eurasia, and subsequently diversified in Southeast-East Asia. A review of geographic distributions of 'out-of-India' taxa reveals that they may have largely fuelled or modified the biodiversity of Eurasia.

Isolation and characterization of 19 polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers in the Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica).

We report the isolation and characterization of 19 polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers in the Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica). These markers were tested in 24 individuals each collected from three distinct populations in Ichikai-machi, Tochigi Prefecture. The number of observed alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 24 across all populations, and the values of observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.130 to 1 and from 0.125 to 0.941, respectively. These microsatellite loci will be useful for investigating the intraspecific genetic variation and population structure of this species.

Osteolipoma arising adjacent to the sternoclavicular joint. A case report.

A 45-year-old woman presented with one-year history of a mass on her chest. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a tumour near the sternoclavicular joint. The tumour was diagnosed as osteolipoma histologically after resection. Osteolipoma is a rare tumour and this may be the first report of osteolipoma arising adjacent to the sternoclavicular joint.

Heterotopic ossification of the distal portion of biceps femoris: case report and review of the literature.

Heterotopic ossification is the formation of mature lamellar bone in soft tissue. We report a very unusual case of heterotopic ossification arising in the distal portion of the biceps femoris muscle. A 29-year-old woman presented with knee pain after playing golf. She had had no apparent history of trauma. Radiography of the knee showed a calcified mass adjacent to the lateral side of her knee joint. The radiological diagnosis was calcification of the lateral collateral ligament. The pain soon disappeared without treatment. At the age of 45 years, she complained of a growing mass in her left knee that was occasionally painful. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a well matured ossified mass in the lateral side of her left knee. Radiologically and macroscopically, it was found to be in continuity with the distal part of biceps femoris. The mass was excised en bloc. Microscopically, the lesion was mainly composed of well-matured lamellar bone with bone marrow and islands of cartilage showing enchondral ossification. No apparent zoning was found. Cellular atypia was not observed. Extraskeletal osteosarcoma was ruled out. The mass was diagnosed as a heterotopic ossification arising from the distal part of biceps femoris.