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Related Concept Videos

The Fossil Record02:56

The Fossil Record

The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...
Overview of the Axial Skeleton01:09

Overview of the Axial Skeleton

The skeleton is subdivided into two major divisions—the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton forms the vertical, central axis of the body. It includes all of the bones of the head, neck, chest, and back. It protects the brain, spinal cord, heart, and lungs. It also serves as the attachment site for muscles that move the head, neck, and back and for muscles that act across the shoulder and hip joints to move their corresponding limbs.
The axial skeleton of the adult...
Overview of the Skull01:08

Overview of the Skull

The cranium (skull) is the skeletal structure of the head that supports the face and protects the brain. It is subdivided into the facial bones and the brain case, or cranial vault. The facial bones underlie the facial structures, form the nasal cavity, enclose the eyeballs, and support the teeth of the upper and lower jaws.
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...
Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View01:14

Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View

The superior view of the cranium shows the frontal and paired parietal bones.
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
Cranial Bones: Lateral View01:27

Cranial Bones: Lateral View

The lateral view of the cranium is dominated by temporal, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
Sutures of the Skull01:22

Sutures of the Skull

The human skull is composed of several bones that come together to protect the brain and support the structures of the face. The junctions where these bones meet are called sutures.
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...

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Assessing Signaling Properties of Ectodermal Epithelia During Craniofacial Development
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Assessing Signaling Properties of Ectodermal Epithelia During Craniofacial Development

Published on: March 24, 2011

Cranial design and function in a large theropod dinosaur.

E J Rayfield1, D B Norman, C C Horner

  • 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, UK. eray@esc.cam.ac.uk

Nature
|March 10, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Finite element analysis (FEA) revealed the Allosaurus fragilis skull had high strength but weak bite force. This suggests a unique feeding behavior for this large carnivorous dinosaur.

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Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Biomechanics
  • Engineering

Background:

  • Finite element analysis (FEA) is a computational method used to predict how structures respond to external forces.
  • FEA is widely applied in engineering and human biomechanics but less so in animal biomechanical design.
  • Accurate 3D models for FEA can be generated from non-invasive imaging techniques like computed tomography (CT) scans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To apply FEA to the skull of Allosaurus fragilis, a large carnivorous theropod dinosaur.
  • To create the most detailed FEA model of an extinct organism's skull to date.
  • To quantitatively test hypotheses about the skull's shape and function.

Main Methods:

  • Generated a geometrically complete and complex 3D finite element model of an Allosaurus fragilis skull using CT scan data.
  • Applied FEA to simulate stress and strain on the skull under various loading conditions.
  • Analyzed the skull's mechanical properties, including cranial strength and bite force.

Main Results:

  • The Allosaurus skull exhibited unusually high cranial strength.
  • The muscle-driven bite force was found to be relatively weak.
  • The skull architecture was characterized as 'light' and 'open'.

Conclusions:

  • The combination of high cranial strength, weak bite force, and open skull architecture suggests a specialized feeding behavior for Allosaurus fragilis.
  • FEA provides a powerful, previously unavailable method for quantitatively analyzing the mechanical behavior of fossilized structures.
  • This study highlights the potential of FEA in paleontology for understanding extinct animal function.