Gastrolith

The definition of gastrolith (gastër, stomach and lithos, stone)

Gastroliths are stomach stones, which some dinosaurs and other animals deliberately swallowed, tearing the leaves from the branches with their teeth and swallowing them whole, the stomach was responsible for decomposing them, since the gastroliths remained in a special part of the dinosaur's stomach, similar to the gizzard of birds. The use of gastroliths was help digestion of food and thus all the nutrients can be absorbed.

To be considered a gastrolith in a dinosaur, it must have a completely different composition than the composition of the territory or surface on which the fossils are located.

Typically, they are found in accumulated groups or "in situ" within the fossilized dinosaur skeleton.

On the surface of the gastroliths there are a series of semicircular notches that are believed to have been produced by the rotary movements of these stones in the digestive tract and by their impact and traction. Furthermore, rocks that are sharp in their natural state are now found to be rounded and polished despite their hard composition.