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Moa Gizzard Stones


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I recently acquired some Moa bird gastroliths from a market stall. It was a stroke of luck as I had been looking around the internet for gastroliths without much luck.

The stones were collected in the Coromandel, in the North Island of New Zealand by the market stall seller who told me that he collected loads of them years ago, he also told me that the ones he sold me were some of the biggest he had ever seen(up to three cm). Sorry about the lurid looking photos, I took these photos at night, when the lights were on. It kills the quality of the pictures.

Thanks for looking :)

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-Lyall

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These are very neat! Some day, I'd like to get a few. About what size do they run?

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Thanks Auspex! The gizzard stones vary from one cm across to about four cm across.

-Lyall

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Are there any defining characteristics to call these "Gizzard stones". I'm not saying they're not, just curious.

~Charlie~

"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK
->Get your Mosasaur print
->How to spot a fake Trilobite
->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG

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I agree with fossilized6s... what makes them moa gizzard stones? I have seen a lot of so called dinosaur gizzard stones, and I am a a sceptic. Anyione can call a ronded rock a gastorlith. My take on dinosaur gastroliths is if they are found in an area that has dinosaur bones and NO other strange rocks that should not be there, then I might believe it.

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I am skeptical as well. All of the labelled gastroliths I have seen look very polished, while these seem a bit rough. I personally wouldn't buy any gastroliths unless I had proof they were found in association with a skeleton.

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Are there any defining characteristics to call these "Gizzard stones". I'm not saying they're not, just curious.

I agree with fossilized6s... what makes them moa gizzard stones? I have seen a lot of so called dinosaur gizzard stones, and I am a a sceptic. Anyione can call a ronded rock a gastorlith. My take on dinosaur gastroliths is if they are found in an area that has dinosaur bones and NO other strange rocks that should not be there, then I might believe it.

I don't know of any defining features, but I was told they were found in a place far from any similar rock deposis, indicating they were brought to the area by a unknown 'thing'. Apart from that I can't say any thing else that defines them as gizzard stones.

Guess I'll have to do some research:-)

-Lyall

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So you bought them just because someone said they are Moa gizzard stones?

" We're all puppets, I'm just a puppet who can see the strings. "

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Gastroliths are something it is hard to be certain about. Signs of acid etching, and a waxy polish, are usually cited, but the context in which they were found is very important, too. If they are localized, and unlike any other stones in the area, and the area is known to have hosted gastrolith-using critters, they bear scrutiny.

Even lacking the high polish does not exclude the possibility, as they might not have spent enough time in the crop to acquire the patina.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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I was hoping for some kind of specific acid etched pattern that defined these. Huh. Basically an associated find.

~Charlie~

"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK
->Get your Mosasaur print
->How to spot a fake Trilobite
->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG

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So you bought them just because someone said they are Moa gizzard stones?

Yes. They were very cheap.

-Lyall

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Thanks for all your replies. Here's another picture of the stones.

Auspex-what do signs of acid etching look like?

They all exhibit various levels of polishing, and have a texture like dry soap.

post-15455-0-26033900-1438486424_thumb.jpg

Thanks,

-Lyall

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