Convergence analysis of a finite element skull model of Herpestes javanicus (Carnivora, Mammalia): implications for robust comparative inferences of biomechanical function

Predictions of skull biomechanical capability based on virtual models constitute a valuable data source for testing hypotheses about craniodental form and feeding behavior. Such comparative analyses also inform dietary reconstruction in extinct species. 3D modeling using Finite Element (FE) methods is a common technique applied to the comparative analysis of craniodental function in extinct and extant vertebrates. However, taxonomically diverse skull models in the literature often are not directly comparable to each other, in part because of distinctions in how boundary conditions are defined, but also because of substantial differences in the number of FEs composing the models. In this study, we test whether a conventional convergence test is adequate in identifying the minimum number of FEs needed to achieve internally stable results for a single species. We constructed a series of skull models of Herpestes javanicus, and simulated unilateral biting across the dentition; the models di...

基于虚拟模型的颅骨生物力学性能预测，是检验颅齿形态与取食行为相关假说的宝贵数据来源。此类比较分析同样可为灭绝物种的食性重建提供参考。采用有限元（Finite Element, FE）方法开展三维建模，是当前比较分析灭绝与现生脊椎动物颅齿功能的常用技术手段。但现有文献中涵盖多类群的颅骨模型往往难以直接相互比较，一方面原因在于边界条件的定义方式存在差异，另一方面则源于组成模型的有限单元数量存在显著差异。本研究旨在验证：常规收敛测试是否足以确定单个物种获得内部稳定模拟结果所需的最少有限单元数。我们构建了一系列爪哇獴（Herpestes javanicus）的颅骨模型，并模拟了牙列单侧咬合过程；上述模型……