noun
- Stones swallowed by certain animals, especially dinosaurs and modern birds, that aid in grinding food in the stomach.
Usage: plural form; singular is gastrolith; paleontology and zoology term; also called gizzard stones in birds
Examples
- Paleontologists discovered gastroliths in the fossilized remains of a sauropod dinosaur.
- Modern ostriches and other large birds use gastroliths to help digest tough plant material.
- The smooth, polished gastroliths found near dinosaur skeletons suggest they were intentionally swallowed.
- Chickens naturally swallow small gastroliths to aid their digestion.
- Scientists study gastroliths to understand the feeding habits of extinct reptiles.