While dragons are mythical creatures widely popular in Asian cultures, the Komodo dragon is a real, living lizard found in Indonesia and is one of the closest living examples of a dinosaur. The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard on Earth and one of the most ferocious carnivorous reptiles that hunts water buffalo, wild boar, and deer. Living on some Indonesian islands, the Komodo dragon can grow up to nearly 3m in length and weigh up to 150 kg. It also has a long tail, strong limbs, and a forked yellow tongue; this creature possesses a venomous bite.
Researchers at King’s College London conducted a study to understand what made dinosaur teeth so powerful for consuming meat and tearing prey apart. To uncover this secret, they used the Komodo dragon, as the closest living analog to dinosaurs, in their study. The enamel layer of Komodo dragon teeth, as well as those of dinosaurs, is notably thin, comprising only 10–20% of the thickness found in human teeth; this poses a question: How are Komodo dragons able to tear apart flesh and eat their prey?
The researchers examined the Komodo dragon teeth under a microscope and observed orange-colored lines, initially thought to be food stains. After analyzing the teeth of Komodo dragon skulls from museum collections, they realized this was a new type of adaptation. By employing powerful X-rays and chemical analyses, the researchers found that iron was concentrated at the tips and cutting edges of the Komodo dragon teeth, which aligns with their previous observations.
Researchers observed that the serrated teeth contain the highest amount of iron; however, the iron layer on the enamel is as decorative as icing on a cake. This protective layer keeps the serrated edges of their teeth sharp. Without this iron-coated layer, the enamel layer would disappear, and the teeth would become weak. Iron is considered one of the worst elements to examine in fossilized teeth, because it seeps into every little bit of that tooth when buried underground for over millions of years. In that sense, researchers used the Komodo dragon as a model for dinosaurs and concluded that dinosaurs had iron-coated teeth that protected them from digestive acids.
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Source: Komodo dragon teeth show orange pigment along the serrated edges.
LeBlanc et al., Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2024.
References
newscientist.com
smithsonianmag.com
sciencenews.org
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