Comparisons of magnitudes of strain components from simulations of mastication of nuts and dried fruit. Scale applies to all figures (principal, axial and shear strains). Figures map the distribution of differences in principal and shear strains recorded on the surfaces of the model during simulation of the power stroke of mastication on nuts and dried fruit. The top two rows present principal strains; the bottom three rows shear strains. For principal strains, the comparisons are calculated as differences in absolute values (i.e., magnitudes) for ε1 and ε2. For example, comparison of nut and dried fruit strain magnitudes reveals that along the endocondylar ridge ε1 magnitudes were ca. 300 με greater during nut chewing (A–D), and along the back edge of the ramus, ε2 magnitudes were ca. 300 με greater during nut chewing (E–H). For shear strain comparisons, the differences are direct comparisons calculated as (nut strain) - (fruit strain). The scale bar at the bottom indicates the difference in microstrain (με) between the two simulations.