Abstract Sauropod dinosaurs were the largest terrestrial herbivores and pushed at the limits of vertebrate biomechanics and physiology. Sauropods exhibit high craniodental diversity in ecosystems where numerous species coexisted, leading...
moreAbstract Sauropod dinosaurs were the largest terrestrial
herbivores and pushed at the limits of vertebrate biomechanics
and physiology. Sauropods exhibit high craniodental
diversity in ecosystems where numerous species coexisted,
leading to the hypothesis that this biodiversity is
linked to niche subdivision driven by ecological specialisation.
Here, we quantitatively investigate feeding behaviour
hypotheses for the iconic sauropod Diplodocus. Biomechanical
modelling, using finite element analysis, was used to
examine the performance of the Diplodocus skull. Three
feeding behaviours were modelled: muscle-driven static biting,
branch stripping and bark stripping. The skull was found to be
‘over engineered’ for static biting, overall experiencing low
stress with only the dentition enduring high stress. When
branch stripping, the skull, similarly, is under low stress, with
little appreciable difference between those models. When simulated for bark stripping, the skull experiences far greater
stresses, especially in the teeth and at the jaw joint. Therefore,
we refute the bark-stripping hypothesis, while the hypotheses
of branch stripping and/or precision biting are both
consistent with our findings, showing that branch stripping
is a biomechanically plausible feeding behaviour
for diplodocids. Interestingly, in all simulations, peak
stress is observed in the premaxillary–maxillary ‘lateral
plates’, supporting the hypothesis that these structures
evolved to dissipate stress induced while feeding. These
results lead us to conclude that the aberrant craniodental
form of Diplodocus was adapted for food procurement
rather than resisting high bite forces.