Early Records of Stones (Gastroliths) in Stomachs of Antarctic Penguins

Authors

Peter D. Shaughnessy, South Australian MuseumFollow

Abstract

During 1915/16, A. H. Ninnis, on board S/Y Aurora of Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1917, collected penguins and seals to augment food supplies while the ship drifted in pack ice. Ninnis found stones (gastroliths) in 86 of 166 Adelie Penguin Pygoscelis adeliae stomachs (52%); numbers varied from 0 to 38 and averaged 2.1 per bird. He also examined eight Emperor Penguin Aptenodytes forsteri stomachs. Two birds had about a dozen stones each, three had some, and three had none. The function of stones in penguins' stomachs remains unknown, but Ninnis did not consider them essential for digestion.

DOI

http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.53.2.1651

Creative Commons License

Terms of use for work posted in Scholar Commons.

Recommended Citation

Shaughnessy, Peter D. (2025) "Early Records of Stones (Gastroliths) in Stomachs of Antarctic Penguins," Marine Ornithology: Vol. 53 : Iss. 2 , Article 16.
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.53.2.1651
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/marine_ornithology/vol53/iss2/16