Dino Gizzard Stones

[old digger]

Here are a few Dinosaur Gizzard stones that I found this last week. Notice the polished appearence.

 

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[Age_old]

Very cool!

I have always found those interesting, but I live in Florida where there are no dinosaur fossils.

Occasionally though, we find whale stomach stones here, which were used in the same purpose. I think it is really neat that two completely different animals can find the same use of a rock!

 

[old digger]

Thanks for your response Old Age! I find these stones scattered in selected spots. They are somewhat easy to find, in that they are totally out of place in reference to the normal rocks and dirt.
But what is odd is that you rarely find any bone.

 

[bblaha]

Can you explain these to me? What exactly are they

 

[mamabear]

how can you tell? they look like worn creek rocks from our area.

 

[ibjeepn]

how can you tell? they look like worn creek rocks from our area.

Lick 'em. If they taste like liver... it's a gizzard stone ! lol.. Seriously, a good question.

 

[old digger]

Can you explain these to me? What exactly are they

From my understanding some dinosaurs had a crop like most birds, which was used to process their food.

 

[old digger]

how can you tell? they look like worn creek rocks from our area.

You find them in one general area, and there are no other rocks to be found in the area that are smooth and have any resemblance to washed river rock. The area these were found is a somewhat like an eroded arid, sandy desert with sagebrush growing here and there. So if you were walking in this area, you would walk on a sandy/dirt with no rocks save for hard sandstone outcropings here and there. The closest stream or river with riverrock is over ten miles away. Also the area that these were found, was found up on the high ground, (Flat/rolling ).

 

[Harry Pristis]

Can you explain these to me? What exactly are they

Do a Google search for "gastrolith" and you'll find lots of info.

 

[bblaha]

Thanks this is cool Iv never heard of this. Cool finds

 

[old digger]

Thanks Harry!

 

[old digger]

Very cool!

I have always found those interesting, but I live in Florida where there are no dinosaur fossils.

Occasionally though, we find whale stomach stones here, which were used in the same purpose. I think it is really neat that two completely different animals can find the same use of a rock!

That's cool! Just curious, how big and what kind of rocks do they use?

 

[Age_old]

That's cool! Just curious, how big and what kind of rocks do they use?

Here, we call them gastroliths. I don't think they use any particular kind of rock, just what is available to them. Some of them can be bigger than a baseball, but they are usually a little bigger than a golfball. Modern whales still do it; if you google 'whale stomach stone,' you will get a ton of pictures. Fossil gastroliths are commonly found off of Venice Beach, Florida.

Here is a picture of a few. Unfortunately, I didn't have any personal pictures on hand, so I pulled one off of the Internet. These are from Venice.

 

[old digger]

Here, we call them gastroliths. I don't think they use any particular kind of rock, just what is available to them. Some of them can be bigger than a baseball, but they are usually a little bigger than a golfball. Modern whales still do it; if you google 'whale stomach stone,' you will get a ton of pictures. Fossil gastroliths are commonly found off of Venice Beach, Florida.

Here is a picture of a few. Unfortunately, I didn't have any personal pictures on hand, so I pulled one off of the Internet. These are from Venice.

Thank You for your response! That is interesting that you can find them on Venice Beach, beacuse my Grandparents used to winter vacation there. I have been down there several times on vacation to look for shark's teeth. But it has been over twelve years since I was down there. I wish I had known that you could find them there. You could say there is another good reason to go back. Thanks!

 

[Age_old]

Thank You for your response! That is interesting that you can find them on Venice Beach, beacuse my Grandparents used to winter vacation there. I have been down there several times on vacation to look for shark's teeth. But it has been over twelve years since I was down there. I wish I had known that you could find them there. You could say there is another good reason to go back. Thanks!

No, thank you, it's great threads like this that make this website so cool!

That's pretty cool that you have been to Venice before. You should go back, if you are ever in Florida. They also host the annual Shark Tooth Festival in April, which is really neat; some of the teeth people bring are unreal.
I have seen a lot of shark teeth come from the shore, but the real treasures are offshore, where the scuba divers go. There are quite a few charter boats that take divers out to find those huge megalodon teeth.

Are there any famous fossil hunting spots where you live?

 

[old digger]

No, thank you, it's great threads like this that make this website so cool!

That's pretty cool that you have been to Venice before. You should go back, if you are ever in Florida. They also host the annual Shark Tooth Festival in April, which is really neat; some of the teeth people bring are unreal.
I have seen a lot of shark teeth come from the shore, but the real treasures are offshore, where the scuba divers go. There are quite a few charter boats that take divers out to find those huge megalodon teeth.

Are there any famous fossil hunting spots where you live?

I still have a two and a half inch+- megladon tooth that my grandmother gave me. I'll post it if I can find it, but it does not compare to some of the huge ones that I have seen or heard of that have been found in the area.
When I was down there I was told that the best time to search was real early in the morning.

As for your last question. Montana is so rich in fossils that you pretty much can find them all over the state. You can find shell fossils in the Pryor Mts. at 9000 ft in elevation to the Missiouri breaks area. Much of the federal and state lands are off limits to vetebrae removal.
On private property I have found both vetebrae and rib specimens, and leaf and plant fossils.

 

[hotrod]

swwwweeetttt!

 

[Age_old]

I still have a two and a half inch+- megladon tooth that my grandmother gave me. I'll post it if I can find it, but it does not compare to some of the huge ones that I have seen or heard of that have been found in the area.
When I was down there I was told that the best time to search was real early in the morning.

As for your last question. Montana is so rich in fossils that you pretty much can find them all over the state. You can find shell fossils in the Pryor Mts. at 9000 ft in elevation to the Missiouri breaks area. Much of the federal and state lands are off limits to vetebrae removal.
On private property I have found both vetebrae and rib specimens, and leaf and plant fossils.

Sounds like you live in an interesting area. You should defiantly post a picture of that tooth, if you find it.

 

[old digger]

Sounds like you live in an interesting area. You should defiantly post a picture of that tooth, if you find it.

Age old here is that sharks tooth that I mentioned.



I was down at Venice Beach about 14 some years ago and all I found were the small sharks teeth.

 

[Age_old]

Age old here is that sharks tooth that I mentioned.

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I was down at Venice Beach about 14 some years ago and all I found were the small sharks teeth.

Very nice tooth!

Not only is it a cool fossil, but a great family keepsake.

You should be proud, that's a nice find. Thanks for sharing!