<p><a href="https://ageofrocks.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/monday-minute-300-million-year-old-fossils-from-the-bellies-of-100-million-year-old-dragons/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This article</a> describes gastroliths ("stomach stones"). It says that gastroliths have been found inside the rib cages of fossilized creatures such as dinosaurs. It also says that gastroliths sometimes contain fossils of older organisms.</p>

<p>Have any examples been found where both these things are true?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-14T01:54:47.827Z
Motivation: I see a young earth creationist arguing that many so-called gastroliths are actually river rocks. The ones found inside dinosaur skeletons are undeniably gastroliths, though. If one like that contained fossils, it would be extremely strong proof that the two fossils date from very different time periods. Especially if they had differing radiometric dates as well.
Nathan Long
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-16T00:51:34.550Z
Just read the article you link it has a link to just such a case at the end.
John
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-16T15:20:37.567Z
It does imply that's the case in the image, but I don't see a way to confirm or read details.
Nathan Long
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-16T19:56:31.510Z
not that one, try the link labeled Stokes (1987)
John
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-18T00:32:45.977Z
@NathanLong just fyi if that link turns out to answer your question, it's always okay to post an answer to your own question from time to time. If it's well received then after a few days it's perfectly fine to click "accept" as well.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-18T13:40:42.667Z
I read the Stokes paper (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1305211?seq=1), but I don't see that it contains a case like I specified. I see it saying that 1) there are some clear examples of gastroliths based on placement in skeleton ribcages, 2) other stones strongly resemble those and are therefore probably gastroliths and 3) gastroliths often contain fossils. I don't see "these specific gastroliths were found in a skeleton *and* those same ones contain fossils". Maybe I missed it?
Nathan Long
<fossils>
Have fossil-containing gastroliths been found inside other fossils?
Nathan Long
# Have fossil-containing gastroliths been found inside other fossils?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-03-14)

[This article](https://ageofrocks.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/monday-minute-300-million-year-old-fossils-from-the-bellies-of-100-million-year-old-dragons/) describes gastroliths ("stomach stones"). It says that gastroliths have been found inside the rib cages of fossilized creatures such as dinosaurs. It also says that gastroliths sometimes contain fossils of older organisms.

Have any examples been found where both these things are true?

**Tags:** fossils

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Motivation: I see a young earth creationist arguing that many so-called gastroliths are actually river rocks. The ones found inside dinosaur skeletons are undeniably gastroliths, though. If one like that contained fossils, it would be extremely strong proof that the two fossils date from very different time periods. Especially if they had differing radiometric dates as well.  
> **username_1**: Just read the article you link it has a link to just such a case at the end.  
> **username_0**: It does imply that's the case in the image, but I don't see a way to confirm or read details.  
> **username_1**: not that one, try the link labeled Stokes (1987)  
> **username_2**: @username_0 just fyi if that link turns out to answer your question, it's always okay to post an answer to your own question from time to time. If it's well received then after a few days it's perfectly fine to click "accept" as well.  
> **username_0**: I read the Stokes paper (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1305211?seq=1), but I don't see that it contains a case like I specified. I see it saying that 1) there are some clear examples of gastroliths based on placement in skeleton ribcages, 2) other stones strongly resemble those and are therefore probably gastroliths and 3) gastroliths often contain fossils. I don't see "these specific gastroliths were found in a skeleton *and* those same ones contain fossils". Maybe I missed it?  

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## 0 answers

