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Why would a species (lets say badgers) evolve to eat rocks?

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    $\begingroup$ Hasn't this been asked a few times already? $\endgroup$
    – Seeds
    Sep 9, 2016 at 22:17
  • $\begingroup$ @Seeds yes it has, but I can't find the question I'm looking for to close it $\endgroup$
    – TrEs-2b
    Sep 9, 2016 at 22:22
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    $\begingroup$ Because there are a lot of rocks that needs to be eaten. My backyard has a lot that needs to be cleared. $\endgroup$
    – NuWin
    Sep 9, 2016 at 22:29
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    $\begingroup$ How is this not completely opinion based? $\endgroup$
    – Aify
    Sep 10, 2016 at 6:57
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    $\begingroup$ The nutritional value of hip hop just is too low; it has to be rock. ;-) $\endgroup$
    – celtschk
    Sep 10, 2016 at 15:23

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While not consuming, perhaps they swallow stones in order to break ups actual food, but consuming rocks for nutrients, not feasible.

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  • $\begingroup$ But I want them to consume rock, not store it! $\endgroup$
    – lee smite
    Sep 9, 2016 at 22:13
  • $\begingroup$ @leesmite let them produce intel chips from rear end, they would need much rocks and rolls for that. $\endgroup$
    – MolbOrg
    Sep 9, 2016 at 22:20
  • $\begingroup$ Chicken does this' $\endgroup$
    – Magic-Mouse
    Sep 9, 2016 at 22:46
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    $\begingroup$ This is common in the animal kingdom. The stones are called gastroliths. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastrolith $\endgroup$
    – Mike Nichols
    Sep 11, 2016 at 0:53
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Evolution works by gradual change over large periods of time. The only real reason for an animal to change its diet is if it becomes unavailable for some reason, and they cannot move to find more. If the badger's food source disappeared they would just all die. If it slowly went away over time, and they couldn't move, they would adapt to eat other, similar stuff. Rocks don't have anything in them to fuel animals metabolisms, so even if they could chew the rock, they wouldn't do any good.

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Because your badgers evolved a stone carapace as a protection from predators (probably some very nasty) and they need minerals to grow this carapace.

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Plants already do that. They need to get at the minerals the rock is made of. Also, IIRC, birds eat chalk for calcium for their eggs' shells.

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