North American bison (Bovidae: Bison bison) incur blunt impacts to the interparietal and frontal bones when they engage in head-to-head fights. To investigate the impact mitigation of these bones, a finite element analysis of the skull under loading conditions was performed. Based on anatomical and histological studies, the interparietal and frontal bones are both comprised of a combination of haversian and plexiform bone, and are both underlain by bony septa. Additionally, the interparietal bone is thicker than the frontal. Data regarding the mechanical properties of bison bone are scarce, but the results of a phylogenetic analysis infer that the material properties of the closely-related domestic cow bone are a suitable proxy for use in the FEA. Results of the FEA suggest that the thickness of the interparietal in conjunction with the bony septa may prevent focal stresses by helping to absorb and disperse the blunt impact energy about the skull.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MSSTATE/oai:scholarsjunction.msstate.edu:td-3284 |
| Date | 13 December 2019 |
| Creators | Persons, Andrea Karen |
| Publisher | Scholars Junction |
| Source Sets | Mississippi State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
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