Re: Limusaurus Inextricabilis

[Tim Williams <tijawi@yahoo.com>]

Augusto Haro wrote:


> Xenarthran anteaters have also a muscular stomach which is
> said to
> crush ants (according to Grassé's Traité de Zoologie). I
> do not know
> if there are gastroliths in anteaters, 


The aardwolf (_Proteles cristatus_) is an insect-eating mammal (carnivoran), 
and it apparently has gastroliths of some variety (Anderson et al., 1992; J. 
Zool. 228: 423-434).  The aardwolf has been held up in support of insectivorous 
habits in _Caudipteryx_, which also has gastroliths.  This analogy appeared in 
a _New Scientist_ article (28 August, 1998) by Graham Taylor on the "Pouncing 
Proavis" model for the origin of avian flight.  


In the same _New Scientist_ article, Taylor states: "In fact, gastroliths would 
be potentially lethal for a meat-eating animal, since their grinding action can 
splinter a bone into a thousand stomach-lacerating pieces".  I've not seen this 
mentioned elsewhere, and there is no reference cited by Taylor in support of 
this.


Cheers

Tim