THOMPSON,E.N.*; BIKNEVICIUS,A.R.: A Biomechanical Analysis of the Development of the Masticatory Apparatus of Monodelphis domestica

While several studies have found differences in the craniofacial configurations of juvenile and adult mammals, how these differences affect masticatory process has been poorly explored. The present study evaluates the masticatory apparatus in an ontogenetic series of short-tailed opossums(Monodelphis domestica) using a biomechanical model of the jaw developed by Greaves'(1978. J. Zool. Lond. 184: 295). Longitudinal data on skull and upper jaw parameters were obtained using radiographs. Results suggest that the occlusal area representing maximal bite force production (Region II) is limited in juveniles and increases into adulthood. This increase appears to be associated not only with posterior molar eruption but with changes in the configuration of the entire skull as well.