A recent study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has uncovered a unique adaptation in Komodo dragons--their serrated, blade-shaped teeth have an iron-rich coating concentrated along the cutting edges and tips. The coating gives their enamel extra strength, an orange stain, and keeps the edges razor-sharp for ripping apart prey like deer and buffalo.
The study suggests that the iron coatings on Komodo dragon teeth may have existed in carnivorous dinosaurs like T. rex but were lost during fossilization, offering insights into dinosaur feeding behavior and biting mechanics.
Komodo dragons are native to Indonesian islands. They are the largest living lizards, reaching over 3 meters in length and weighing around 80 kilograms on average.
Only around 3,500 individuals remain in the wild, primarily in the Komodo National Park and Flores island. They face threats from habitat destruction, illegal hunting, and climate change.
Sources: National Geographic, Science News, USA Today, Scientific American, Washington Post, Nature, Gizmodo, Daily News, The Guardian, CNN, Independent, New Scientist, ScienceAlert, ZME Science, Boing Boing, SciTechDaily.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
