Functional models from limited data: parametric anatomy and 3D kinematics of basking shark feeding
Li, A.; Schindler, M.; Paskin, M.; Surapaneni, V.A.; Scott, E.; Hauert, S.; Payne, N.; Cade, D.; Goldbogen, J.; Mollen, F.H.; Baum, D.; Hanna, S.; Dean, M. (2025). Functional models from limited data: parametric anatomy and 3D kinematics of basking shark feeding, in: SCIB 2025: The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference, 3-7 January, Atlanta, GA.
In: (2025). SCIB 2025: The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference, 3-7 January, Atlanta, GA: Abstracts. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB): Herndon. , more
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| Available in | Authors |
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Document type: Summary
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| Authors | | Top |
- Li, A.
- Schindler, M.
- Paskin, M.
- Surapaneni, V.A.
- Scott, E.
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- Hauert, S.
- Payne, N.
- Cade, D.
- Goldbogen, J.
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- Mollen, F.H., more
- Baum, D.
- Hanna, S.
- Dean, M.
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| Abstract |
Basking sharks feed by gaping their mouths and gill slits, greatly reorienting their cranial skeletons to retain food from water. The 3D biomechanics of this behavior, however, are exceptionally difficult to study due to the size, elusiveness, and CITES-status of these animals and the rarity of well-preserved specimens. To overcome these challenges, we integrate anatomical, digital design and computer imaging approaches to reconstruct poseable 3D skeletal models of feeding basking sharks. The skeleton, segmented from CT-scans of intact heads, was abstracted as a bio-realistic rigging for guiding skeletal positioning in 3D space. Directed by anatomies of museum and dissected beached specimens, the digital scaffolding helped virtually correct skeletal distortions (e.g. from specimen collapse), resetting the skeleton to closed-mouth symmetry. Open-mouthed feeding postures were recreated by repositioning skeletal joints to biologically-relevant destination coordinates defined from videos of feeding sharks, exploiting the basking shark’s undeviating feeding posture to build 3D photogrammetry models from successive video frames. The resultant “digital puppet” bridges diverse imaging data while capturing the coordinated motion of “hidden” cranial joints, deconstructing complex form-function relationships into computationally controllable parameters for exploring 3D skeletal movement. This biological fidelity gives insights into dynamic feeding processes impossible to observe in the laboratory and a platform for future kinematic modeling (e.g. of individual variation, other species), while demonstrating interdisciplinary approaches for studying large and elusive wildlife. |
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