Testing hypotheses for the function of the carnivoran baculum using finite-element analysis.

ABSTRACT: The baculum (os penis) is a mineralized bone within the glans of the mammalian penis and is one of the most morphologically diverse structures in the mammal skeleton. Recent experimental work provides compelling evidence for sexual selection shaping the baculum, yet the functional mechanism by which this occurs remains unknown. Previous studies have tested biomechanical hypotheses for the role of the baculum based on simple metrics such as length and diameter, ignoring the wealth of additional shape complexity present. For the first time, to our knowledge, we apply a computational simulation approach (finite-element analysis; FEA) to quantify the three-dimensional biomechanical performance of carnivoran bacula (n = 74) based upon high-resolution micro-computed tomography scans. We f

SUBMITTER: Brassey CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6170803 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature