Salvator merianae (=Tupinambis merianae) cranial bones

Marc Jones
Marc Jones
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Published 2018-08-14
The computer model of a lizard skull built for:

Jones MEH, Gröning F, Sharp A, Dutel H, Fagan M, and Evans SE. 2017. The biomechanical role of the chondrocranium
and sutures in a lizard cranium. Royal Society Interface 14 (137) 20170637. DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0637

rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/14/137/201…

Abstract:
"The role of soft tissues in skull biomechanics remains poorly understood. Not least, the chondrocranium, the portion of the braincase which persists as cartilage with varying degrees of mineralization. It also remains commonplace to overlook the biomechanical role of sutures despite evidence that they alter strain distribution. Here, we examine the role of both the sutures and the chondrocranium in the South American tegu lizard Salvator merianae. We use multi-body dynamics analysis (MDA) to provide realistic loading conditions for anterior and posterior unilateral biting and a detailed finite element model to examine strain magnitude and distribution. We find that strains within the chondrocranium are greatest during anterior biting and are primarily tensile; also that strain within the cranium is not greatly reduced by the presence of the chondrocranium unless it is given the same material properties as bone. This result contradicts previous suggestions that the anterior portion (the nasal septum) acts as a supporting structure. Inclusion of sutures to the cranium model not only increases overall strain magnitudes but also leads to a more complex distribution of tension and compression rather than that of a beam under sagittal bending."

The bones of the cranium are fully segmented but those of the lower jaw are not.
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