Comparison of diverse mandibular mechanics during biting in Devonian lungfishes
Joshua Bland,
Hugo Dutel,
John A. Long,
Matteo Fabbri,
Joseph Bevitt,
Kate Trinajstic,
Olga Panagiotopoulou,
Alice M. Clement
Affiliations
Joshua Bland
College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Hugo Dutel
Palaeobiology Research Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199 Pessac, France
John A. Long
College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool WA 6106, Australia
Matteo Fabbri
Center of Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Joseph Bevitt
Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, New Illawarra Rd, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
Kate Trinajstic
School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102, Australia; Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool WA 6106, Australia
Olga Panagiotopoulou
Department of Foundational Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro University California (TUC), Vallejo, CA, USA
Alice M. Clement
College of Science & Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Corresponding author
Summary: Fossil lungfish from the Late Devonian Gogo Formation, Australia, feature some of the most remarkable and specialized mandible morphologies in their 415-million-year history. Although the taxonomy, systematics, and species diversity are relatively well understood, their ecological role and how multiple species could co-exist in the same ecosystem remain unclear. Using 3D finite element analysis, this study assesses species-specific mechanical performance of fossil lungfish mandibles. Our models predict that gracile mandibles experience highly variable bone stress magnitudes during biting, but intensity is contingent on dentition type (shape), occurring more within the “denticulated” morphology, and less for “tooth-plated” or “dentine-plated” forms. In contrast, robust mandibles experience lower bone stress overall, but symphysis length remains significant, possibly withstanding high torsional forces. Our comprehensive dataset offers the most detailed quantification of biting performance in any fossil fish thus far, providing biomechanical evidence for diverse feeding adaptations and niche partitioning within Gogo lungfishes.
