SYNTHESIZING ENGINEERING METHODS WITH VIRTUAL PALEONTOLOGY TO MODEL EXTINCT ARTHROPOD PREDATORS

Analyzing predation in the fossil record in contemporary paleobiology often involves the application of multifaceted, statistical methods. Typically, we explore records of failed predation at the population level to understand possible predator preference, or phenotypic response of prey. While important, this angle fails to assess how the predators themselves functioned. Combining 3D engineering methods—such as finite element analysis—with scans or reconstructions of anatomical structures implicated in prey capture has allowed extinct predator toolkits to be explored biomechanically. Vertebrate groups have been the primary focus of studies using finite element analysis (FEA) but the past five years have witnessed possible arthropod predators likewise being interrogated with FEA. This new framework reflects the on-going examination of exceptionally preserved fossils and exploration of possible modern analogues to contextualize extinct animals. The state-of-the-art for 3D arthropod biomechanics is reviewed using examples of proposed predators—trilobites, sea scorpions, and the iconic Anomalocaris canadensis—allowing questions such as the possibility of durophagy to be assessed. These examples will be showcased to understand the current possibilities and limitations of this emerging subfield.