A Novel Computational Framework to Investigate the Biomechanics of Burrowing

Abstract

Head-first burrowing likely imposes strong mechanical demands on the skull of fossorial vertebrates, but how cranial tissues respond to these loads remains obscure. Here, we developed a computational framework integrating the discrete element method (DEM) with finite element analysis (FEA) to investigate cranial biomechanics during burrowing. We used Blanus cinereus, a round-headed amphisbaenian, as a model to establish DEM predictions that were validated and calibrated against in vitro experiments across three substrates and compared with in vivo push forces. DEM-calibrated particle contact forces were then transferred to an anatomically detailed finite element model to quantify cranial loading. The analyses suggested that soft tissues accommodated substantial deformation, while the skull transmitted burrowing loads from the premaxilla towards the occipital region. Cranial sutures further redistributed stresses and strains within the skull. This validated DEM-FEA framework links particle-scale substrate interactions with internal cranial biomechanics and provides a quantitative approach for investigating the mechanics of head-first burrowing across fossorial vertebrates.