Courtney Shewitt, from the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, shares her insights on sea lions' puzzling habit of swallowing rocks, known as gastroliths. Oliver Wings, director of the Natural History Museum in Bamberg, showcases fascinating discoveries from his vast collection, including surprising finds like gemstones. They discuss the various purposes of gastroliths, such as aiding digestion and buoyancy control. The conversation also touches on other rock-swallowing species, like ostriches and penguins, highlighting the complexity of animal behaviors in this quirky phenomenon.
