Abstract
SummaryPalaeontologists often use finite element analyses, in which forces propagate through objects with specific material properties, to investigate feeding biomechanics. Teeth are usually modeled with uniform properties (all bone or all enamel). In reality, most teeth are composed of pulp, dentine, and enamel. We tested how simplified teeth compare to more realistic models using mandible models of three reptiles. For each, we created models representing enamel thicknesses found in extant taxa, as well as simplified models (bone, dentine or enamel). Our results suggest that general comparisons of stress distribution among distantly related taxa do not require representation of dental tissues, as there was no noticeable effect on heatmap representations of stress. However, we find that representation of dental tissues impacts bite force estimates, although magnitude of these effects may differ depending on constraints. Thus, as others have shown, the detail necessary in a biomechanical model relates to the questions being examined.
Highlights
Finite element analysis (FEA) is becoming an increasingly common modeling tool for biologists and palaeontologists to investigate how form relates to function in extinct and extant taxa (Bright 2014)
SUMMARY Palaeontologists often use finite element analyses, in which forces propagate through objects with specific material properties, to investigate feeding biomechanics
Our results suggest that general comparisons of stress distribution among distantly related taxa do not require representation of dental tissues, as there was no noticeable effect on heatmap representations of stress
Summary
Finite element analysis (FEA) is becoming an increasingly common modeling tool for biologists and palaeontologists to investigate how form relates to function in extinct and extant taxa (Bright 2014). To create a realistic model, the correct material properties need to be assigned to the mesh These material properties include the Poisson ratio (which describes the relationship between transverse strain to axial strain) and the Young’s modulus (the relationship of stress to strain: a measure of the stiffness of a material). Values for these properties are obtained from material property tests on the tissues of extant animals (e.g., Creech 2004; Gilmore et al, 1969; Huang et al, 2005; Karimi et al, 2019; Lee et al, 2000; Lautenschlager et al, 2018; Rees and Hammadeh 2004; Zapata et al, 2010). Appropriate specimens may not be readily available for testing
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