Gorilla Mandible Biomechanics
As a sophomore at Union College, I worked with Professor Andrew Rapoff of the mechanical engineering department, evaluating bone material property variation in cercopithecoid mandibles. The purpose of this work was to establish functional and mechanical linkages between mandibular morphology, masticatory biomechanics, feeding behavior, and food mechanical properties. Working alongside engineers and anthropologists, we analyzed the relative contributions of internal reaction forces to stresses in the great ape mandibular symphysis.
My contribution involved examining mandibular stresses on symphyseal cross sections of gorillas and orangutans through Matlab simulations. By developing models of stress distribution in cercopithecoid mandibles, my research provided a foundation for the identification of biomechanical variables responsible for initiating and maintaining metabolic activity of bone tissue.