We examined genetic variation in house mice from India and Pakistan, a predominant part of the predicted homeland of this species and also the territory of the subspecies Mus musculus castaneus (CAS), using a nuclear marker for seven tandemly arranged genes (Fanca–Spire2–Tcf25–Mc1r–Def8–Afg3l1–Dbndd1) and compared them with those previously determined for mice from other parts of Eurasia. Construction of a network with the concatenate sequences yielded three distinct clusters representing the three major subspecies groups: CAS, Mus musculus domesticus (DOM) and Mus musculus musculus (MUS). STRUCTURE analysis provided evidence for further subdivision of CAS into two main haplogroups within the Indian subcontinent. Single‐gene networks revealed not only gene‐specific architecture for subgrouping in CAS, but also allelic exchange among subspecies. These results suggest the earlier onset of allopatric divergence in the predicted homeland (the Middle East and Indian subcontinent) and subsequent intermittent admixing via gene flow across the CAS haplogroups and among the three subspecies groups. A comparison of the levels of nucleotide diversity among the gene regions revealed a less divergent state in the chromosome region containing Mc1r and its adjacent genes, indicative of a selective sweep, suggesting the involvement of natural selection in the Mc1r allelic variation. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 114, 778–794.

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ObjectivesEdema and necrosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) have been described in terms of bone marrow signal abnormalities in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, painful joints often show no such signaling abnormalities, making the diagnosis of TMJ disorders difficult in the clinical setting. An association has been suggested between TMJ bone marrow change and TMJ pain, but even when such change results in slight pain, it may be too slight to be visually apparent on MR images. We hypothesized that fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) can be used to detect such minimal changes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an association between signal intensity on FLAIR images and pain in the TMJ.MethodsThe study included 85 TMJs in 45 patients referred to our department for MRI. The signal intensity on FLAIR images was measured. Pain was evaluated based on the visual analog scale. An unpaired t test and Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient were used for the statistical analysis. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsSignal intensity on the FLAIR images was significantly higher in painful than in nonpainful TMJs, although a significant correlation was not observed between the signal intensity and the pain score.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest an association between abnormalities in the marrow of the mandibular condyle and pain. They also indicate that FLAIR imaging is a useful tool in the clinical diagnosis of painful TMJs.

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