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PURPOSE: Mice have been increasingly used to study the stomatognathic function, since genetically modified mice are expected to enhance our understanding of neural and motor disorders of the craniomandibular system. However, fundamental characteristics of jaw movements in mice have not been fully understood. In the present study, the jaw movement of mice during chewing foods of different textures was analyzed in relation to the coordination of the masseter and the temporalis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: At 11 weeks of age, electrodes were placed in the masseter and the temporalis for electromyography (EMG) recording, and jaw movement was measured using a three-dimensional jaw-tracking system. Hard food and soft food were tested. RESULTS: The jaw movement trajectories of mice in the sagittal plane showed antero-posterior excursions unlike those of human or other animals. Larger …