Student Article

A team of scientists has discovered that the teeth of Komodo dragon are coated with iron. This protective layer keeps the serrated edges of their teeth sharp, allowing the massive lizards to tear quickly and efficiently through the flesh of their prey. The discovery, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, may also provide clues to how dinosaurs such as the Tyrannosaurus rex killed and ate their prey.

What are Komodo dragons?

Komodo dragons are a species of monitor lizard native to Indonesia. Weighing around 176 lb. (80 kg), they are the heaviest lizards in the world. They are also one of the most ferocious, with sharp, curved teeth that they use to hunt and rip apart various prey, from small reptiles and birds to deer, horses, and even water buffaloes.

Iron-coated teeth

Researchers from King's College London found that Komodo dragons have concentrated layers of iron at various locations on their teeth, which helps keep them sharp. Many reptiles have iron in their teeth, but the high levels of iron along the cutting edges and tips of the Komodo's teeth make them unique. The iron is so dense that it stains the teeth orange, unlike crocodiles and other monitor lizards that have less visible iron.

The dinosaur connection

The findings present new questions about how extinct species such as dinosaurs lived and ate, says Dr. Aaron LeBlanc, lecturer in Dental Biosciences at King's College London and the study's lead author. Komodo dragons have curved, serrated teeth to rip and tear their prey, similar to meat-eating dinosaurs. The researchers plan to use this similarity to learn more about how carnivorous dinosaurs might have used iron in their teeth. Dr. LeBlanc explains that limitations in technology make it impossible to see whether fossilized dinosaur teeth have high levels of iron. However, further analysis of Komodo teeth may reveal markers in the iron coating that aren't changed during fossilization, providing greater understanding of these ferocious predators.

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