Developing a musculoskeletal model of the primate skull: Predicting muscle activations, bite force, and joint reaction forces using multibody dynamics analysis and advanced optimisation methods

► We describe a new musculoskeletal computer model of a primate (Macaque) skull. ► It predicts bite force, TMJ forces and muscle recruitment patterns during biting. ► The results compare very well with experimental in vivo EMG and bite force data. ► They reveal the complexity of muscle recruitment even during simple biting.