Re: gastroliths (was Re:Giant carnivorous geese)

[philidor11@snet.net]

HP Wroe observed:
<The allusion to gastroliths in Proteles is real cute and 
another eye-opener. If true - they are converging on birds in 
their use of 
gastroliths to circumvent constraints imposed by a degenerate 
dentition.>

Yes, if a predator using gastroliths has a recent predator ancestor 
which did not use gastroliths, then this could be a problem solving 
behavior.  Arguably tool use.  Swallowing large stones is not 
a random behavior, though it could, I suppose, arise from eating 
whole an animal which did use gastroliths.  But this wouldn't 
apply to Proteles, obviously.
And Proteles is not selecting for a recovery of better dentition, 
so the behavior would be controlling the physical evolution of 
the animal.
Definitely interesting.











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