Moa Ate Pretty Rocks
Lacking teeth, moa ate pretty rocks. These lustrous pieces of agate were found on Rangiatea Station in Canterbury, home to Sara and Bill Gallagher.
The farm is rich in agates, and the couple use some of it to run a small jewellery business on the side. But the agates shown here weren’t split and polished by jewellers, or rockhounds—instead, more than half a century ago, they were swallowed by moa, and rubbed smooth as they jumbled together in the birds’ gizzards.
Moa, like dinosaurs and birds, occasionally ate small stones to help grind tough food. When these ancient digestive aids are discovered now, they’re considered trace fossils, as are nests, burrows and footprints—and they give scientists valuable insights.
These lustrous pieces of agate were found on Rangiatea Station in Canterbury, home to Sara and Bill Gallagher.
Author summary: Moa ate rocks for digestion purposes.
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