Temporalis function in anthropoids and strepsirrhines: An EMG study

Energetic costs of feeding in 12 species of small-bodied primates

There are no comparative, empirical studies of the energetic costs of feeding in mammals. As a result, we lack physiological data to better understand the selection pressures on the mammalian feeding apparatus and the influence of variables such as food geometric and material properties. This study investigates interspecific scaling of the net energetic costs of feeding in relation to body size, jaw-adductor muscle mass and food properties in a sample of 12 non-human primate species ranging in size from 0.08 to 4.2 kg. Net energetic costs during feeding were measured by indirect calorimetry for a variety of pre-cut and whole raw foods varying in geometric and material properties. Net feeding costs were determined in two ways: by subtracting either the initial metabolic rate prior to feeding or subtracting the postprandial metabolic rate. Interspecific scaling relationships were evaluated using pGLS and OLS regression. Net feeding costs scale negatively relative to both body mass and jaw-adductor mass. Large animals incur relatively lower feeding costs indicating that small and large animals experience and solve mechanical challenges in relation to energetics in different ways. This article is part of the theme issue 'Food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals'.

Gape drives regional variation in temporalis architectural dynamics in tufted capuchins

Dynamic changes in jaw movements and bite forces depend on muscle architectural and neural factors that have rarely been compared within the same muscle. Here we investigate how regional muscle architecture dynamics-fascicle rotation, shortening, lengthening and architectural gear ratio (AGR)-vary during chewing across a functionally heterogeneous muscle. We evaluate whether timing in architecture dynamics relates to gape, food material properties and/or muscle activation. We also examine whether static estimates of temporalis fibre architecture track variation in dynamic architecture. Fascicle-level architecture dynamics were measured in three regions of the superficial temporalis of three adult tufted capuchins (Sapajus apella) using biplanar videoradiography and the XROMM workflow. Architecture dynamics data were paired with regional fine-wire electromyography data from four adult tufted capuchins. Gape accounted for most architectural change across the temporalis, but architectural dynamics varied between regions. Mechanically challenging foods were associated with lower AGRs in the anterior region. The timing of most dynamic architectural changes did not vary between regions and differed from regional variation in static architecture. Collectively these findings suggest that, when modelling temporalis muscle force production in extant and fossil primates, it is important to account for the effects of gape, regionalization and food material properties. This article is part of the theme issue 'Food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals'.

Sagittal suture strain in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus and Cebus) during feeding

OBJECTIVES

Morphological variation in cranial sutures is used to infer aspects of primate feeding behavior, including diet, but strain regimes across sutures are not well documented. Our aim is to test hypotheses about sagittal suture morphology, strain regime, feeding behavior, and muscle activity relationships in robust Sapajus and gracile Cebus capuchin primates.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Morphometrics of sinuosity in three regions of the sagittal suture were compared among museum specimens of Sapajus and Cebus, as well as in robust and gracile lab specimens. In vivo strains and bilateral electromyographic (EMG) activity were recorded from these regions in the temporalis muscles of capuchin primates while they fed on mechanically-varying foods.

RESULTS

Sapajus and the anterior suture region exhibited greater sinuosity than Cebus and posterior regions. In vivo data reveal minor differences in strain regime between robust and gracile phenotypes but show higher strain magnitudes in the middle suture region and higher tensile strains anteriorly. After gage location, feeding behavior has the most consistent and strongest impact on strain regime in the sagittal suture. Strain in the anterior suture has a high tension to compression ratio compared to the posterior region, especially during forceful biting in the robust Sapajus-like individual.

DISCUSSION

Sagittal suture complexity in robust capuchins likely reflects feeding behaviors associated with mechanically challenging foods. Sutural strain regimes in other anthropoid primates may also be affected by activity in feeding muscles.

Masticatory biomechanics of red and grey squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris and Sciurus carolinensis) modelled with multibody dynamics analysis

The process of feeding in mammals is achieved by moving the mandible relative to the cranium to bring the teeth into and out of occlusion. This process is especially complex in rodents which have a highly specialized configuration of jaw adductor muscles. Here, we used the computational technique of multi-body dynamics analysis (MDA) to model feeding in the red (Sciurus vulgaris) and grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and determine the relative contribution of each jaw-closing muscle in the generation of bite forces. The MDA model simulated incisor biting at different gapes. A series of 'virtual ablation experiments' were performed at each gape, whereby the activation of each bilateral pair of muscles was set to zero. The maximum bite force was found to increase at wider gapes. As predicted, the superficial and anterior deep masseter were the largest contributors to bite force, but the temporalis had only a small contribution. Further analysis indicated that the temporalis may play a more important role in jaw stabilization than in the generation of bite force. This study demonstrated the ability of MDA to elucidate details of red and grey squirrel feeding biomechanics providing a complement to data gathered via in vivo experimentation.

Regional Variation in Contractile Patterns and Muscle Activity in Infant Pig Feeding

At the level of the whole muscle, contractile patterns during activity are a critical and necessary source of variation in function. Understanding if a muscle is actively lengthening, shorting, or remaining isometric has implications for how it is working to power a given behavior. When feeding, the muscles associated with the tongue, jaws, pharynx, and hyoid act together to transport food through the oral cavity and into the esophagus. These muscles have highly coordinated firing patterns, yet also exhibit high levels of regional heterogeneity in both their timing of activity and their contractile characteristics when active. These high levels of variation make investigations into function challenging, especially in systems where muscles power multiple behaviors. We used infant pigs as a model system to systematically evaluate variation in muscle firing patterns in two muscles (mylohyoid and genioglossus) during two activities (sucking and swallowing). We also evaluated the contractile characteristics of mylohyoid during activity in the anterior and posterior regions of the muscle. We found that the posterior regions of both muscles had different patterns of activity during sucking versus swallowing, whereas the anterior regions of the muscles did not. Furthermore, the anterior portion of mylohyoid exhibited concentric contractions when active during sucking, whereas the posterior portion was isometric during sucking and swallowing. This difference suggests that the anterior portion of mylohyoid in infant pigs is functioning in concert with the tongue and jaws to generate suction, whereas the posterior portion is likely acting as a hyoid stabilizer during sucking and swallowing. Our results demonstrate the need to evaluate both the contractile characteristics and activity patterns of a muscle in order to understand its function, especially in cases where there is potential for variation in either factor within a single muscle.

Anatomical and physiological variation of the hyoid musculature during swallowing in infant pigs

The function of a muscle is impacted by its line of action, activity timing and contractile characteristics when active, all of which have the potential to vary within a behavior. One function of the hyoid musculature is to move the hyoid bone during swallowing, yet we have little insight into how their lines of action and contractile characteristics might change during a swallow. We used an infant pig model to quantify the contractile characteristics of four hyoid muscles during a swallow using synchronized electromyography, fluoromicrometry and high-speed biplanar videofluoroscopy. We also estimated muscle line of action during a swallow using contrast-enhanced CT-scanned muscles animated to move with the hyoid bone and found that as the hyoid elevated, the line of action of the muscles attached to it became greater in depression. We also found that muscles acted eccentrically and concentrically, which was correlated with hyoid movement. This work contributes to our understanding of how the musculature powering feeding functions during swallowing.

Comparative biomechanics of the Pan and Macaca mandibles during mastication: finite element modelling of loading, deformation and strain regimes

The mechanical behaviour of the mandibles of Pan and Macaca during mastication was compared using finite element modelling. Muscle forces were calculated using species-specific measures of physiological cross-sectional area and scaled using electromyographic estimates of muscle recruitment in Macaca. Loading regimes were compared using moments acting on the mandible and strain regimes were qualitatively compared using maps of principal, shear and axial strains. The enlarged and more vertically oriented temporalis and superficial masseter muscles of Pan result in larger sagittal and transverse bending moments on both working and balancing sides, and larger anteroposterior twisting moments on the working side. The mandible of Pan experiences higher principal strain magnitudes in the ramus and mandibular prominence, higher transverse shear strains in the top of the symphyseal region and working-side corpus, and a predominance of sagittal bending-related strains in the balancing-side mandible. This study lays the foundation for a broader comparative study of Hominidae mandibular mechanics in extant and fossil hominids using finite element modelling. Pan's larger and more vertical masseter and temporalis may make it a more suitable model for hominid mandibular biomechanics than Macaca.

Fiber-type phenotype of the jaw-closing muscles in Gorilla gorilla, Pan troglodytes, and Pan paniscus: A test of the Frequent Recruitment Hypothesis

Skeletal muscle fiber types are important determinants of the contractile properties of muscle fibers, such as fatigue resistance and shortening velocity. Yet little is known about how jaw-adductor fiber types correlate with feeding behavior in primates. Compared with chimpanzees and bonobos, gorillas spend a greater percentage of their daily time feeding and shift to herbaceous vegetation when fruits are scarce. We thus used the African apes to test the hypothesis that chewing with unusually high frequency is correlated with the expression in the jaw adductors of a high proportion of type 1 (slow, fatigue-resistant) fibers at the expense of other fiber types (the Frequent Recruitment Hypothesis). We used immunohistochemistry to determine the presence and distribution of the four major myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms in the anterior superficial masseter (ASM), superficial anterior temporalis, and deep anterior temporalis of four Gorilla gorilla, two Pan paniscus, and four Pan troglodytes. Serial sections were stained against slow (MHC-1/-α-cardiac) and fast (MHC-2/-M) fibers. Fibers were counted and scored for staining intensity, and fiber cross-sectional areas (CSAs) were measured and used to estimate percentage of CSA of each MHC isoform. Hybrid fibers accounted for nearly 100% of fiber types in the masseter and temporalis of all three species, resulting in three main hybrid phenotypes. As predicted, the gorilla ASM and deep anterior temporalis comprised a greater percentage of CSA of the slower, fatigue-resistant hybrid fiber type, significantly so for the ASM (p = 0.015). Finally, the results suggest that fiber phenotype of the chewing muscles contributes to behavioral flexibility in ways that would go undetected in paleontological studies relying solely on morphology of the bony masticatory apparatus.

Biomechanics of the mandible of Macaca mulatta during the power stroke of mastication: Loading, deformation, and strain regimes and the impact of food type

Mandible morphology has yet to yield definitive information on primate diet, probably because of poor understanding of mandibular loading and strain regimes, and overreliance on simple beam models of mandibular mechanics. We used a finite element model of a macaque mandible to test hypotheses about mandibular loading and strain regimes and relate variation in muscle activity during chewing on different foods to variation in strain regimes. The balancing-side corpus is loaded primarily by sagittal shear forces and sagittal bending moments. On the working side, sagittal bending moments, anteroposterior twisting moments, and lateral transverse bending moments all reach similar maxima below the bite point; sagittal shear is the dominant loading regime behind the bite point; and the corpus is twisted such that the mandibular base is inverted. In the symphyseal region, the predominant loading regimes are lateral transverse bending and negative twisting about a mediolateral axis. Compared with grape and dried fruit chewing, nut chewing is associated with larger sagittal and transverse bending moments acting on balancing- and working-side mandibles, larger sagittal shear on the working side, and larger twisting moments about vertical and transverse axes in the symphyseal region. Nut chewing is also associated with higher minimum principal strain magnitudes in the balancing-side posterior ramus; higher sagittal shear strain magnitudes in the working-side buccal alveolar process and the balancing-side oblique line, recessus mandibulae, and endocondylar ridge; and higher transverse shear strains in the symphyseal region, the balancing-side medial prominence, and the balancing-side endocondylar ridge. The largest food-related differences in maximum principal and transverse shear strain magnitudes are in the transverse tori and in the balancing-side medial prominence, extramolar sulcus, oblique line, and endocondylar ridge. Food effects on the strain regime are most salient in areas not traditionally investigated, suggesting that studies seeking dietary effects on mandible morphology might be looking in the wrong places.

Muscle architecture dynamics modulate performance of the superficial anterior temporalis muscle during chewing in capuchins

Jaw-muscle architecture is a key determinant of jaw movements and bite force. While static length-force and force-velocity relationships are well documented in mammals, architecture dynamics of the chewing muscles and their impact on muscle performance are largely unknown. We provide novel data on how fiber architecture of the superficial anterior temporalis (SAT) varies dynamically during naturalistic feeding in tufted capuchins (Sapajus apella). We collected data on architecture dynamics (changes in muscle shape or the architectural gear ratio) during the gape cycle while subjects fed on foods of different mechanical properties. Architecture of the SAT varied with phases of the gape cycle, but gape distance accounted for the majority of dynamic changes in architecture. In addition, lower gear ratios (low muscle velocity relative to fascicle velocity) were observed when animals chewed on more mechanically resistant foods. At lower gear ratios, fibers rotated less during shortening resulting in smaller pinnation angles, a configuration that favors increased force production. Our results suggest that architectural dynamics may influence jaw-muscle performance by enabling the production of higher bite forces during the occlusal phase of the gape cycle and while processing mechanically challenging foods.

Masticatory Loading and Ossification of the Mandibular Symphysis during Anthropoid Origins

An ossified or 'fused' mandibular symphysis characterizes the origins of the Anthropoidea, a primate suborder that includes humans. Longstanding debate about the adaptive significance of variation in this jaw joint centers on whether a bony symphysis is stronger than an unfused one spanned by cartilage and ligaments. To provide essential information regarding mechanical performance, intact adult symphyses from representative primates and scandentians were loaded ex vivo to simulate stresses during biting and chewing - dorsoventral (DV) shear and lateral transverse bending ('wishboning'). The anthropoid symphysis requires significantly more force to induce structural failure vs. strepsirrhines and scandentians with unfused joints. In wishboning, symphyseal breakage always occurs at the midline in taxa with unfused conditions, further indicating that an ossified symphysis is stronger than an unfused joint. Greater non-midline fractures among anthropoids suggest that fusion imposes unique constraints on masticatory function elsewhere along the mandible, a phenomenon likely to characterize the evolution of fusion and jaw form throughout Mammalia.

Mandibular symphyseal fusion in fossil primates: Insights from correlated patterns of jaw shape and masticatory function in living primates

OBJECTIVES

Variation in primate masticatory form and function has been extensively researched through both morphological and experimental studies. As a result, symphyseal fusion in different primate clades has been linked to either the recruitment of vertically directed balancing-side muscle force, the timing and recruitment of transversely directed forces, or both. This study investigates the relationship between jaw muscle activity patterns and morphology in extant primates to make inferences about masticatory function in extinct primates, with implications for understanding the evolution of symphyseal fusion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three-dimensional mandibular landmark data were collected for 31 extant primates and nine fossil anthropoids and subfossil lemur species. Published electromyography (EMG) data were available for nine of the extant primate species. Partial least squares analysis and phylogenetic partial least squares analysis were used to identify relationships between EMG and jaw shape data and evaluate variation in jaw morphology.

RESULTS

Primates with partial and complete symphyseal fusion exhibit shape-function patterns associated with the wishboning motor pattern and loading regime, in contrast to shape-function patterns of primates with unfused jaws. All fossil primates examined (except Apidium) exhibit jaw morphologies suggestive of the wishboning motor pattern demonstrated in living anthropoids and indriids.

DISCUSSION

Partial fusion in Catopithecus, similar to indriids and some subfossil lemurs, may be sufficient to resist, or transfer, some amounts of transversely directed balancing-side muscle force at the symphysis, representing a transition to greater reliance on transverse jaw movement during mastication. Furthermore, possible functional convergences in physiological patterns during chewing (i.e., Archaeolemur) are identified.

Jaw Elevator Muscle Coordination during Rhythmic Mastication in Primates: Are Triplets Units of Motor Control?

The activity of mammal jaw elevator muscles during chewing has often been described using the concept of the triplet motor pattern, in which triplet I (balancing side superficial masseter and medial pterygoid; working side posterior temporalis) is consistently activated before triplet II (working side superficial masseter and medial pterygoid; balancing side posterior temporalis), and each triplet of muscles is recruited and modulated as a unit. Here, new measures of unison, synchrony, and coordination are used to determine whether in 5 primate species (Propithecus verreauxi, Eulemur fulvus, Papio anubis, Macaca fuscata,and Pan troglodytes)muscles in the same triplet are active more in unison, are more synchronized, and are more highly coordinated than muscles in different triplets. Results show that triplet I muscle pairs are active more in unison than other muscle pairs in Eulemur, Macaca, and Papio,buttriplet muscle pairs are mostly not more tightly synchronized than non-triplet pairs. Triplet muscles are more coordinated during triplet pattern cycles than non-triplet cycles, while non-triplet muscle pairs are more coordinated during non-triplet cycles than triplet cycles. These results suggest that the central nervous system alters patterns of coordination between cycles, recruiting triplet muscles as a coordinated unit during triplet cycles but employing a different pattern of muscle coordination during non-triplet cycles. The triplet motor pattern may simplify modulation of rhythmic mastication by being one possible unit of coordination that can be recruited on a cycle-to-cycle basis.

The influence of masseter and temporalis sarcomere length operating ranges as determined by laser diffraction on architectural estimates of muscle force and excursion in macaques (Macaca fascicularis and Macaca mulatta)

OBJECTIVE

Determine sarcomere length (L_s) operating ranges of the superficial masseter and temporalis in vitro in a macaque model and examine the impact of position-dependent variation on L_s and architectural estimates of muscle function (i.e., fiber length, PCSA) before and after L_s-normalization.

DESIGN

Heads of adult Macaca fascicularis (n = 4) and M. mulatta (n = 3) were bisected postmortem. One side of the jaw was fixed in occlusion, the other in maximum gape. L_s was measured bilaterally using laser diffraction and these measurements were used to estimate sarcomere-length operating ranges. Differences in fiber length and PCSA between sides were tested for significance prior to and following L_s-normalization.

RESULTS

Sarcomere-length operating ranges were widest for the anterior superficial masseter and narrowest for the posterior temporalis. Compared with other mammals, macaque operating ranges were wider and shifted to the right of the descending limb of a representative length-tension curve. Fibers were significantly stretched by as much as 100%, and PCSAs reduced by as much as 43%, on the maximally gaped compared with occluded sides. L_s-normalization substantially reduced position-dependent variance.

CONCLUSIONS

The superficial masseter ranges between 87-143% and the temporalis between 88-130% of optimal L_s from maximum gape to occlusion, indicating maximum relative L_s for these macaque muscles exceeds the upper end range previously reported for the jaw muscles of smaller mammals. The wider macaque operating ranges may be functionally linked to the propensity for facially prognathic primates to engage in agonistic canine display behaviors that require jaw-muscle stretch to facilitate production of wide jaw gapes.

Dynamics of motor cortical activity during naturalistic feeding behavior

OBJECTIVE

The orofacial primary motor cortex (MIo) plays a critical role in controlling tongue and jaw movements during oral motor functions, such as chewing, swallowing and speech. However, the neural mechanisms of MIo during naturalistic feeding are still poorly understood. There is a strong need for a systematic study of motor cortical dynamics during feeding behavior.

APPROACH

To investigate the neural dynamics and variability of MIo neuronal activity during naturalistic feeding, we used chronically implanted micro-electrode arrays to simultaneously recorded ensembles of neuronal activity in the MIo of two monkeys (Macaca mulatta) while eating various types of food. We developed a Bayesian nonparametric latent variable model to reveal latent structures of neuronal population activity of the MIo and identify the complex mapping between MIo ensemble spike activity and high-dimensional kinematics.

MAIN RESULTS

Rhythmic neuronal firing patterns and oscillatory dynamics are evident in single-unit activity. At the population level, we uncovered the neural dynamics of rhythmic chewing, and quantified the neural variability at multiple timescales (complete feeding sequences, chewing sequence stages, chewing gape cycle phases) across food types. Our approach accommodates time-warping of chewing sequences and automatic model selection, and maps the latent states to chewing behaviors at fine timescales.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our work shows that neural representations of MIo ensembles display spatiotemporal patterns in chewing gape cycles at different chew sequence stages, and these patterns vary in a stage-dependent manner. Unsupervised learning and decoding analysis may reveal the link between complex MIo spatiotemporal patterns and chewing kinematics.

Evaluating the triplet hypothesis during rhythmic mastication in primates

Mammalian mastication involves precise jaw movements including transverse movement of the mandible during the power stroke. Jaw elevation and transverse movement are driven by asymmetrical jaw elevator muscle activity, which is thought to include a phylogenetically primitive and conserved triplet motor pattern consisting of: triplet I (balancing side: superficial masseter and medial pterygoid; working side: posterior temporalis), which reaches onset, peak and offset first; and triplet II (working side: superficial masseter and medial pterygoid; balancing side: posterior temporalis), which is active second. Although the presence of a triplet motor pattern has been confirmed in several primate species, the prevalence of this motor pattern - i.e. the proportion of masticatory cycles that display it - has not been evaluated in primates. The present study quantifies the presence and prevalence of the triplet motor pattern in five different primate species, Eulemur fulvus, Propithecus verreauxi, Papio anubis, Macacafuscata and Pan troglodytes, using mean onset, peak and offset time relative to working superficial masseter. In all five of the species studied, the mean triplet motor pattern was observed at peak muscle activation, and in four out of the five species the triplet motor pattern occurred more frequently than expected at random at peak muscle activation and offset. Non-triplet motor patterns were observed in varying proportions at different time points in the masticatory cycle, suggesting that the presence or absence of the triplet motor pattern is not a binomial trait. Instead, the primate masticatory motor pattern is malleable within individual cycles, within individual animals and therefore within species.

In vivo bone strain and finite element modeling of a rhesus macaque mandible during mastication

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a commonly used tool in musculoskeletal biomechanics and vertebrate paleontology. The accuracy and precision of finite element models (FEMs) are reliant on accurate data on bone geometry, muscle forces, boundary conditions and tissue material properties. Simplified modeling assumptions, due to lack of in vivo experimental data on material properties and muscle activation patterns, may introduce analytical errors in analyses where quantitative accuracy is critical for obtaining rigorous results. A subject-specific FEM of a rhesus macaque mandible was constructed, loaded and validated using in vivo data from the same animal. In developing the model, we assessed the impact on model behavior of variation in (i) material properties of the mandibular trabecular bone tissue and teeth; (ii) constraints at the temporomandibular joint and bite point; and (iii) the timing of the muscle activity used to estimate the external forces acting on the model. The best match between the FEA simulation and the in vivo experimental data resulted from modeling the trabecular tissue with an isotropic and homogeneous Young's modulus and Poisson's value of 10GPa and 0.3, respectively; constraining translations along X,Y, Z axes in the chewing (left) side temporomandibular joint, the premolars and the m₁; constraining the balancing (right) side temporomandibular joint in the anterior-posterior and superior-inferior axes, and using the muscle force estimated at time of maximum strain magnitude in the lower lateral gauge. The relative strain magnitudes in this model were similar to those recorded in vivo for all strain locations. More detailed analyses of mandibular strain patterns during the power stroke at different times in the chewing cycle are needed.

Ontogenetic and functional modularity in the rodent mandible

The material properties of diets consumed by juvenile individuals are known to affect adult morphological outcomes. However, much of the current experimental knowledge regarding dietary effects on masticatory form is derived from studies in which individuals are fed a non-variable diet for the duration of their postweaning growth period. Thus, it remains unclear how intra-individual variation in diet, due to ontogenetic variation in feeding behaviors or seasonal resource fluctuations, affects the resulting adult morphology. Furthermore, the mandible is composed of multiple developmental and functional subunits, and the extent to which growth and plasticity among these modules is correlated may be misestimated by studies that examine non-variable masticatory function in adults only. To address these gaps in our current knowledge, this study raised Sprague Dawley rats (n=42) in four dietary cohorts from weaning to skeletal maturity. Two cohorts were fed a stable ("annual") diet of either solid or powdered pellets. The other two cohorts were fed a variable ("seasonal") diet consisting of solid/powdered pellets for the first half of the study, followed by a shift to the opposite diet. Results of longitudinal morphometric analyses indicate that variation in the mandibular corpus is more prominent at immature ontogenetic stages, likely due to processes of dental eruption and the growth of tooth roots. Furthermore, adult morphology is influenced by both masticatory function and the ontogenetic timing of this function, e.g., the consumption of a mechanically resistant diet. The morphology of the coronoid process was found to separate cohorts on the basis of their early weanling diet, suggesting that the coronoid process/temporalis muscle module may have an early plasticity window related to high growth rates during this life stage. Conversely, the morphology of the angular process was found to be influenced by the consumption of a mechanically resistant diet at any point during the growth period, but with a tendency to reflect the most recent diet. The prolonged plasticity window of the angular process/pterygomasseteric muscle module may be related to delayed ossification and muscular maturation within this module. The research presented here highlights the importance of more naturalistic models of mammalian feeding, and underscores the need for a better understanding of the processes of both morphological and behavioral maturation that follow weaning.

Intracranial and hierarchical perspective on dietary plasticity in mammals

The effect of dietary properties on craniofacial form has been the focus of numerous functional studies, with increasingly more work dedicated to the importance of phenotypic plasticity. As bone is a dynamic tissue, morphological variation related to differential loading is well established for many masticatory structures. However, the adaptive osteogenic response of several cranial sites across multiple levels of bony organization remains to be investigated. Here, rabbits were obtained at weaning and raised for 48 weeks until adulthood in order to address the naturalistic influence of altered loading on the long-term development of masticatory and non-masticatory elements. Longitudinal data from micro-computed tomography (μCT) scans were used to test the hypothesis that variation in cortical bone formation and biomineralization in masticatory structures is linked to increased stresses during oral processing of mechanically challenging foods. It was also hypothesized that similar parameters for neurocranial structures would be minimally affected by varying loads as this area is characterized by low strains during mastication and reduced hard-tissue mechanosensitivity. Hypotheses were supported regarding bone formation for maxillomandibular and neurocranial elements, though biomineralization trends of masticatory structures did not mirror macroscale findings. Varying osteogenic responses in masticatory elements suggest that physiological adaptation, and corresponding variation in skeletal performance, may reside differentially at one level of bony architecture, potentially affecting the accuracy of behavioral and in silico reconstructions. Together, these findings underscore the complexity of bone adaptation and highlight functional and developmental variation in determinants of skull form.

What does feeding system morphology tell us about feeding?

Feeding is the set of behaviors whereby organisms acquire and process the energy required for survival and reproduction. Thus, feeding system morphology is presumably subject to selection to maintain or improve feeding performance. Relationships among feeding system morphology, feeding behavior, and diet not only explain the morphological diversity of extant primates, but can also be used to reconstruct feeding behavior and diet in fossil taxa. Dental morphology has long been known to reflect aspects of feeding behavior and diet but strong relationships of craniomandibular morphology to feeding behavior and diet have yet to be defined.

XROMM analysis of tooth occlusion and temporomandibular joint kinematics during feeding in juvenile miniature pigs

Like humans, domestic pigs are omnivorous and thus are a common model for human masticatory function. Prior attempts to characterize food-tooth interactions and jaw movements associated with mastication have been limited to aspects of the oral apparatus that are visible externally (with videography) and/or to 2D movements of oral structures (with monoplanar videofluoroscopy). We used XROMM, a 3D technique that combines CT-based morphology with biplanar videofluoroscopy, to quantify mandibular kinematics, tooth occlusion, and mandibular condylar displacements within the temporomandibular joint during feeding. We observed that the pig TMJ moved detectably in only 3 of 6 possible degrees of freedom during mastication: 2 rotations, pitch and yaw; and 1 translation, protraction-retraction. Asymmetrical yaw around a dorsoventral axis produced the observed alternating left-right chewing cycles responsible for food reduction. Furthermore, the relative motions of the upper and lower premolars contained a substantial mesiodistal component in addition to the buccolingual component, resulting in an oblique (rather than a strictly transverse) power stroke. This research demonstrates the capacity of XROMM to explore the kinematic underpinnings of key masticatory movements, such as the occlusal power stroke, by integrating tooth, joint, and rigid body jaw movements. XROMM also allowed us to test kinematic hypotheses based on skeletal anatomy with actual kinematics observed during naturalistic feeding behaviors. We observed that the soft tissue structures of the TMJ appear to play a significant role in limiting the range of motion of a joint, and thus analyses based solely on osseous morphology may over-estimate joint mobility.

Evidence for the functional compartmentalization of the temporalis muscle: a 3-dimensional study of innervation

PURPOSE

The temporalis muscle is commonly used for functional transfer. It is architecturally complex, but few studies have examined its intramuscular innervation and none has used 3-dimensional modeling techniques. Understanding neuromuscular compartmentalization may allow the design of local muscle transfers to minimize donor-site morbidity. The purpose of the present study was to document the intramuscular innervation patterns throughout the volume of the temporalis muscle and define functional units within the muscle.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In 10 formalin-embalmed cadaveric specimens, the foramen ovale was exposed and the branches of the mandibular nerve were identified. Each branch was digitized in short segments extramuscularly and intramuscularly. Three-dimensional models were reconstructed from the digitized data using Maya software, and the innervation patterns were documented.

RESULTS

The temporalis muscle was found to have superior and inferior parts that were further grouped by innervation into regions, with each receiving its innervation from 1 primary nerve. The nerves originated directly from the mandibular nerve, except in 3 specimens, where the posterior deep temporal nerve arose from the masseteric nerve.

CONCLUSION

These results provide a detailed mapping of innervation patterns and suggest there are at least 5 functional compartments. Each of these has the capacity for selective activation, 3 of which have clinical value. These findings may allow for decreased donor-site morbidity and more functionally sophisticated designs in clinical practice.

Regional variation in IIM myosin heavy chain expression in the temporalis muscle of female and male baboons (Papio anubis)

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine whether high amounts of fast/type II myosin heavy chain (MyHC) in the superficial as compared to the deep temporalis muscle of adult female and male baboons (Papio anubis) correlates with published data on muscle function during chewing. Electromyographic (EMG) data show a regional specialization in activation from low to high amplitude activity during hard/tough object chewing cycles in the baboon superficial temporalis.(48,49) A positive correlation between fast/type II MyHC amount and EMG activity will support the high occlusal force hypothesis.

DESIGN

Deep anterior temporalis (DAT), superficial anterior temporalis (SAT), and superficial posterior temporalis (SPT) muscle samples were analyzed using SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis to test the prediction that SAT and SPT will show high amounts of fast/type II MyHC compared to DAT. Serial muscle sections were incubated against NOQ7.5.4D and MY32 antibodies to determine the breadth of slow/type I versus fast/type II expression within each section.

RESULTS

Type I and type IIM MyHCs comprise nearly 100% of the MyHCs in the temporalis muscle. IIM MyHC was the overwhelmingly predominant fast MyHC, though there was a small amount of type IIA MyHC (≤5%) in DAT in two individuals. SAT and SPT exhibited a fast/type II phenotype and contained large amounts of IIM MyHC whereas DAT exhibited a type I/type II (hybrid) phenotype and contained a significantly greater proportion of MyHC-I. MyHC-I expression in DAT was sexually dimorphic as it was more abundant in females.

CONCLUSIONS

The link between the distribution of IIM MyHC and high relative EMG amplitudes in SAT and SPT during hard/tough object chewing cycles is evidence of regional specialization in fibre type to generate high occlusal forces during chewing. The high proportion of MyHC-I in DAT of females may be related to a high frequency of individual fibre recruitment in comparison to males.

Masticatory loadings and cranial deformation in Macaca fascicularis: a finite element analysis sensitivity study

Biomechanical analyses are commonly conducted to investigate how craniofacial form relates to function, particularly in relation to dietary adaptations. However, in the absence of corresponding muscle activation patterns, incomplete muscle data recorded experimentally for different individuals during different feeding tasks are frequently substituted. This study uses finite element analysis (FEA) to examine the sensitivity of the mechanical response of a Macaca fascicularis cranium to varying muscle activation patterns predicted via multibody dynamic analysis. Relative to the effects of varying bite location, the consequences of simulated variations in muscle activation patterns and of the inclusion/exclusion of whole muscle groups were investigated. The resulting cranial deformations were compared using two approaches; strain maps and geometric morphometric analyses. The results indicate that, with bite force magnitude controlled, the variations among the mechanical responses of the cranium to bite location far outweigh those observed as a consequence of varying muscle activations. However, zygomatic deformation was an exception, with the activation levels of superficial masseter being most influential in this regard. The anterior portion of temporalis deforms the cranial vault, but the remaining muscles have less profound effects. This study for the first time systematically quantifies the sensitivity of an FEA model of a primate skull to widely varying masticatory muscle activations and finds that, with the exception of the zygomatic arch, reasonable variants of muscle loading for a second molar bite have considerably less effect on cranial deformation and the resulting strain map than does varying molar bite point. The implication is that FEA models of biting crania will generally produce acceptable estimates of deformation under load as long as muscle activations and forces are reasonably approximated. In any one FEA study, the biological significance of the error in applied muscle forces is best judged against the magnitude of the effect that is being investigated.

Developing a musculoskeletal model of the primate skull: predicting muscle activations, bite force, and joint reaction forces using multibody dynamics analysis and advanced optimisation methods

An accurate, dynamic, functional model of the skull that can be used to predict muscle forces, bite forces, and joint reaction forces would have many uses across a broad range of disciplines. One major issue however with musculoskeletal analyses is that of muscle activation pattern indeterminacy. A very large number of possible muscle force combinations will satisfy a particular functional task. This makes predicting physiological muscle recruitment patterns difficult. Here we describe in detail the process of development of a complex multibody computer model of a primate skull (Macaca fascicularis), that aims to predict muscle recruitment patterns during biting. Using optimisation criteria based on minimisation of muscle stress we predict working to balancing side muscle force ratios, peak bite forces, and joint reaction forces during unilateral biting. Validation of such models is problematic; however we have shown comparable working to balancing muscle activity and TMJ reaction ratios during biting to those observed in vivo and that peak predicted bite forces compare well to published experimental data. To our knowledge the complexity of the musculoskeletal model is greater than any previously reported for a primate. This complexity, when compared to more simple representations provides more nuanced insights into the functioning of masticatory muscles. Thus, we have shown muscle activity to vary throughout individual muscle groups, which enables them to function optimally during specific masticatory tasks. This model will be utilised in future studies into the functioning of the masticatory apparatus.

A preliminary analysis of correlations between chewing motor patterns and mandibular morphology across mammals

The establishment of a publicly-accessible repository of physiological data on feeding in mammals, the Feeding Experiments End-user Database (FEED), along with improvements in reconstruction of mammalian phylogeny, significantly improves our ability to address long-standing questions about the evolution of mammalian feeding. In this study, we use comparative phylogenetic methods to examine correlations between jaw robusticity and both the relative recruitment and the relative time of peak activity for the superficial masseter, deep masseter, and temporalis muscles across 19 mammalian species from six orders. We find little evidence for a relationship between jaw robusticity and electromyographic (EMG) activity for either the superficial masseter or temporalis muscles across mammals. We hypothesize that future analyses may identify significant associations between these physiological and morphological variables within subgroups of mammals that share similar diets, feeding behaviors, and/or phylogenetic histories. Alternatively, the relative peak recruitment and timing of the balancing-side (i.e., non-chewing-side) deep masseter muscle (BDM) is significantly negatively correlated with the relative area of the mandibular symphysis across our mammalian sample. This relationship exists despite BDM activity being associated with different loading regimes in the symphyses of primates compared to ungulates, suggesting a basic association between magnitude of symphyseal loads and symphyseal area among these mammals. Because our sample primarily represents mammals that use significant transverse movements during chewing, future research should address whether the correlations between BDM activity and symphyseal morphology characterize all mammals or should be restricted to this "transverse chewing" group. Finally, the significant correlations observed in this study suggest that physiological parameters are an integrated and evolving component of feeding across mammals.

A preliminary analysis of correlated evolution in Mammalian chewing motor patterns

Descriptive and quantitative analyses of electromyograms (EMG) from the jaw adductors during feeding in mammals have demonstrated both similarities and differences among species in chewing motor patterns. These observations have led to a number of hypotheses of the evolution of motor patterns, the most comprehensive of which was proposed by Weijs in 1994. Since then, new data have been collected and additional hypotheses for the evolution of motor patterns have been proposed. Here, we take advantage of these new data and a well-resolved species-level phylogeny for mammals to test for the correlated evolution of specific components of mammalian chewing motor patterns. We focus on the evolution of the coordination of working-side (WS) and balancing-side (BS) jaw adductors (i.e., Weijs' Triplets I and II), the evolution of WS and BS muscle recruitment levels, and the evolution of asynchrony between pairs of muscles. We converted existing chewing EMG data into binary traits to incorporate as much data as possible and facilitate robust phylogenetic analyses. We then tested hypotheses of correlated evolution of these traits across our phylogeny using a maximum likelihood method and the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. Both sets of analyses yielded similar results highlighting the evolutionary changes that have occurred across mammals in chewing motor patterns. We find support for the correlated evolution of (1) Triplets I and II, (2) BS deep masseter asynchrony and Triplets I and II, (3) a relative delay in the activity of the BS deep masseter and a decrease in the ratio of WS to BS muscle recruitment levels, and (4) a relative delay in the activity of the BS deep masseter and a delay in the activity of the BS posterior temporalis. In contrast, changes in relative WS and BS activity levels across mammals are not correlated with Triplets I and II. Results from this work can be integrated with dietary and morphological data to better understand how feeding and the masticatory apparatus have evolved across mammals in the context of new masticatory demands.

Masticatory motor programs in Australian herbivorous mammals: diprotodontia

Movement of the jaw during molar occlusion is determined by the sequence of activity in the adductor muscles and this sequence is one way to define a masticatory motor program. Based on the similarity of molar structure, it is probable that the American opossum and the early Tertiary mammals that gave rise to all Australian marsupials probably shared a common "primitive" masticatory motor program. The distinct and various patterns of movement of the jaw in the major groups of Australian marsupial herbivores (diprotodontids) are achieved by both subtle and substantial shifts in the timing of the primitive sequence. All diprotodonts divide jaw movements during occlusion into a vertical Phase Im and horizontal Phase IIm, but the number of muscles involved and the level of activity associated with each phase varies considerably. In macropodids (potoroos and kangaroos) Phase Im dominates; in wombats Phase IIm dominates and in koalas the two phases are more evenly divided, with a more equal distribution of muscles between them. The motor program of koalas parallels that of some placental ungulates, while both macropodids and wombats have motor programs unique among mammals.

The influence of experimental manipulations on chewing speed during in vivo laboratory research in tufted capuchins (Cebus apella)

Even though in vivo studies of mastication in living primates are often used to test functional and adaptive hypotheses explaining primate masticatory behavior, we currently have little data addressing how experimental procedures performed in the laboratory influence mastication. The obvious logistical issue in assessing how animal manipulation impacts feeding physiology reflects the difficulty in quantifying mechanical parameters without handling the animal. In this study, we measured chewing cycle duration as a mechanical variable that can be collected remotely to: 1) assess how experimental manipulations affect chewing speed in Cebus apella, 2) compare captive chewing cycle durations to that of wild conspecifics, and 3) document sources of variation (beyond experimental manipulation) impacting captive chewing cycle durations. We find that experimental manipulations do increase chewing cycle durations in C. apella by as much as 152 milliseconds (ms) on average. These slower chewing speeds are mainly an effect of anesthesia (and/or restraint), rather than electrode implantation or more invasive surgical procedures. Comparison of captive and wild C. apella suggest there is no novel effect of captivity on chewing speed, although this cannot unequivocally demonstrate that masticatory mechanics are similar in captive and wild individuals. Furthermore, we document significant differences in cycle durations due to inter-individual variation and food type, although duration did not always significantly correlate with mechanical properties of foods. We advocate that the significant reduction in chewing speed be considered as an appropriate qualification when applying the results of laboratory-based feeding studies to adaptive explanations of primate feeding behaviors.