Tongue movements during chewing and swallowing have been difficult to study because the tongue is hidden in the mouth. We used XROMM data on 3D tongue movements during chewing and swallowing in macaques to test Abd-el-Malek’s hypotheses about tongue twisting during chewing in humans. We are developing computational models of tongue function and evaluating whether similar movements are also seen in other amniotes. Courtney Orsbon developed a workflow to integrate XROMM and DiceCT methods and used these methods to propose a new hydraulic mechanism of tongue base retraction in macaques during swallowing. We are using this workflow in other studies and testing the applicability of this model to other mammals.

Related Publications

Dynamic musculoskeletal functional morphology: Integrating diceCT and XROMM
Orsbon, CP, Gidmark, NJ, Ross, CF. Anatomical Record. 301(2):378-406 (2018) [DOI]

Loss of tactile feedback impairs feeding performance and consistency of tongue-jaw coordination
Laurence-Chasen, JD, Arce-McShane, FI, Hatsopoulos, NG, Ross, CF. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. (2022) [DOI]

Twist and chew: three dimensional tongue kinematics during chewing in macaque primates
Feilich, K, Laurence-Chasen, JD, Orsbon, C, Gidmark, NJ, Ross, CF. Biology Letters. 17:20210431.20210431 (2021) [DOI]

XROMM and diceCT reveal a hydraulic mechanism of tongue base retraction in swallowing
Orsbon, CP, Gidmark, NJ, Gao, T, Ross, CF. Scientific Reports. 2020 May 19 (2020) [DOI]