RE: Gastroliths

["C. Laibly" <laibly@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu>]

On Tues, April 4, Chad Laibly wrote:

> The claystones of the Morrison are not really aquatic deposits.  They may
> have been deposited on river flood plains, but the setting was
terrestriial
I couldn't quite tell from your posting, and I don't know your background,
> but it makes me wonder.  If you are inclined to think that those stones were
> deposited by Noah's Flood, you've been hoodwinked by uncritical and
> unscrupulous people.  I would be glad if I'm wrong about your motivation,
> and you have my apologies if I am. 
         Noah's Ark? I was interested in knowing how the
stones could end up in that particular environment. Umm, I guess I don't
see the connection...?  Happy to continue that off-list, out of
curiosity.


> 
> What is "TIA"?
> 

T I A  Thanks In Advance :)


 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:       C. Laibly [SMTP:laibly@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu]
> > Sent:       Monday, April 05, 1999 7:03 PM
> > To: dinosaurs
> > Subject:    Gastroliths
> > 
> > 
> >     Can anyone tell me what the accepted theory is about sauropods and
> > their possible use of stones to digest? Today in Evolution of the
> > Vertebrates, we learned in lecture that many of these stones are found in
> > the Morrison Fm in clay or limey deposits. There was some controversy on
> > how they could come to rest in a low turbulence depositional environment.
> > The one theory mentioned was vomiting from the sauropods as they swam. Is 
> > this for real?
> >     I really can't see a group of sauropods swimming along and
> > vomiting all day! Somebody, please tell me a more plausible explanation
> > for the stones. Oh, also mentioned was the fact that only 2 sauropods to
> > date had been found with stones inside their body cavities as they were
> > discovered. TIA!
> > Chad Laibly
> > University of Iowa
> > Geology/Museum Studies
>