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Post by snowmom on Nov 21, 2014 19:23:04 GMT -5
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Post by mohs on Nov 22, 2014 7:46:02 GMT -5
unfortunately the link doesn’t work
I’ve read accounts of ambigurgis washing up on shore and the mighty Moby Dick as chapter on it mankind fascination with the whale what a story
I just came across an account of fossil called spiral bezoar basically shark poo can tell from the shape that it comes from a shark
mostly
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,688
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Post by Fossilman on Nov 22, 2014 10:59:07 GMT -5
Found this...............http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris (copy and paste)
Quote"Ambergris occurs as a biliary secretion of the intestines of the sperm whale and can be found floating upon the sea, or lying on the coast. It is also sometimes found in the abdomens of whales. Because the beaks of giant squids have been found embedded within lumps of ambergris, scientists have theorised that the substance is produced by the whale's gastrointestinal tract to ease the passage of hard, sharp objects that the whale might have eaten. The sperm whale usually vomits these but if one travels further down the gut, it will be covered in ambergris.
Ambergris is usually passed in the fecal matter. It is speculated that an ambergris mass too large to be passed through the intestines is expelled via the mouth, leading to the reputation of ambergris as primarily coming from whale vomit.[5] It takes years for ambergris to form. Christopher Kemp, the author of Floating Gold: A Natural (and Unnatural) History of Ambergris, says, “It is only produced by sperm whales, and only by an estimated one percent of them. Once expelled by a whale, it must float for years, then it must make landfall, avoid being broken into pieces by rough seas, and someone must find it.[full citation needed] In other words, the odds of finding ambergris are extremely small.” The very small chance of finding ambergris and the legal ambiguity involved led perfume makers away from ambergris.[further explanation needed]
Ambergris can be found in the Atlantic Ocean and on the coasts of South Africa, Brazil, Madagascar, the East Indies, The Maldives, China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, and the Molucca Islands. In rarer cases, it can be found in other locations. Most commercially collected ambergris comes from the Bahamas in the Caribbean, particularly New Providence. Fossilised ambergris from 1.75 million years ago has also been found." Quote
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2014 11:06:30 GMT -5
vegasjames may have some love to share regarding ambergris.
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Post by snowmom on Nov 22, 2014 18:14:40 GMT -5
think I fixed the link. btw Horses get stones in their innards too, forming around foreign bodies in their intestines, they are called enteroliths...no use for them and a horse will often die from side effects if they can't pass the stones naturally. no vomiting in this case. Do other animals get a version of rocks in the belly too? ambergris is way more interesting because of its use.. In my hippie days it was the perfume of choice.
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Post by snowmom on Nov 22, 2014 18:15:55 GMT -5
mike, I wonder how on earth they know it is ambergris when found as a fossil? now I have to go look for a picture.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2014 18:44:45 GMT -5
many animals utilize stones in their stomach - gastroliths. Ratites for instance use it to grind their food. Mnay tortoises eat rocks and soil both for the minerals and the grinding effects. Land Iguanas...... some people make a hobby of collecting themThese are ballast from crocodiles.
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Post by snowmom on Nov 22, 2014 18:56:53 GMT -5
cool! those all have gizzards? nice shine on the croc rocks.. newly discovered polishing method ( ages old)
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Post by vegasjames on Nov 28, 2014 5:21:30 GMT -5
unfortunately the link doesn’t work I’ve read accounts of ambigurgis washing up on shore and the mighty Moby Dick as chapter on it mankind fascination with the whale what a story I just came across an account of fossil called spiral bezoar basically shark poo can tell from the shape that it comes from a shark mostly Yes, sharks have a spiral shaped intestine. Creates more surface area to compensate for the short length of the intestine.
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Post by vegasjames on Nov 28, 2014 5:25:01 GMT -5
vegasjames may have some love to share regarding ambergris. Yes, I have done a lot of research on it as part of a project making synthetic ambergris. Took about a year before it stopped smelling like a dead body and mellowed out some. I have not bleached mine yet, which actually increases the value.
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Post by vegasjames on Nov 28, 2014 5:28:06 GMT -5
think I fixed the link. btw Horses get stones in their innards too, forming around foreign bodies in their intestines, they are called enteroliths...no use for them and a horse will often die from side effects if they can't pass the stones naturally. no vomiting in this case. Do other animals get a version of rocks in the belly too? Enteroliths can form in humans as well, but is very rare.
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