ArticleRoyal Society open science2015
Estimating cranial musculoskeletal constraints in theropod dinosaurs.
Article in Royal Society open science, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers.
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28 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparative cranial biomechanics reveal macroevolutionary trends in theropod dinosaurs, with emphasis on Tyrannosauroidea.Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2026Article
- Dinosaur skull geometry does not follow functional optimization trends but facilitates adaptability.iScience · 2025Article
- Constraints and adaptations in crocodyliform skull evolution.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2025Article
- Comparing cranial biomechanics between Barbourofelis fricki and Smilodon fatalis: Is there a universal killing-bite among saber-toothed predators?Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2025Article
- Joint function in marmosets and tamarins: Insights from computational modeling of hip extensor muscles.Journal of anatomy · 2025Article
- New perspectives on body size and shape evolution in dinosaurs.Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · 2025Review
- Avian cranial kinesis is the result of increased encephalization during the origin of birds.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- BFEX: A Toolbox for Finite Element Analysis With Fossils and Blender.Ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- Osteology and functional morphology of a transitional pterosaur Dearc sgiathanach from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) of Scotland.BMC ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- Applying 3D Models of Giant Salamanders to Explore Form-Function Relationships in Early Digit-Bearing Tetrapods.Integrative and comparative biology · 2024Article
- Morphological evolution and functional consequences of giantism in tyrannosauroid dinosaurs.iScience · 2024Article
- Morphological disparity and structural performance of the dromaeosaurid skull informs ecology and evolutionary history.BMC ecology and evolution · 2024Article
- Evidence for high-performance suction feeding in the Pennsylvanian stem-group holocephalanProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2023Article
- Dietary niche partitioning in Early Jurassic ichthyosaurs from Strawberry Bank.Journal of anatomy · 2022Article
- Functional and ecomorphological evolution of orbit shape in mesozoic archosaurs is driven by body size and diet.Communications biology · 2022Article
- Cranial muscle reconstructions quantify adaptation for high bite forces in Oviraptorosauria.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Modeling tooth enamel in FEA comparisons of skulls: Comparing common simplifications with biologically realistic models.iScience · 2021Article
- Architectural properties of the musculoskeletal system in the shoulder of two callitrichid primate species derived from virtual dissection.Primates; journal of primatology · 2021Article
- Three-dimensional modelling, disparity and ecology of the first Cambrian apex predators.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2021Article
- Morphological convergence obscures functional diversity in sabre-toothed carnivores.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2020Article
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1 author.
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Abstract
Many inferences on the biology, behaviour and ecology of extinct vertebrates are based on the reconstruction of the musculature and rely considerably on its accuracy. Although the advent of digital reconstruction techniques has facilitated the creation and testing of musculoskeletal hypotheses in recent years, muscle strain capabilities have rarely been considered. Here, a digital modelling approach using the freely available visualization and animation software Blender is applied to estimate cranial muscle length changes and optimal and maximal possible gape in different theropod dinosaurs. Models of living archosaur taxa (Alligator mississippiensis, Buteo buteo) were used in an extant phylogenetically bracketed framework to validate the method. Results of this study demonstrate that Tyrannosaurus rex, Allosaurus fragilis and Erlikosaurus andrewsi show distinct differences in the recruitment of the jaw adductor musculature and resulting gape, confirming previous dietary and ecological assumptions. While the carnivorous taxa T. rex and Allo. fragilis were capable of a wide gape and sustained muscle force, the herbivorous therizinosaurian E. andrewsi was constrained to small gape angles.
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