Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.
Komodo dragons, the world’s largest species of lizard, have iron-tipped teeth that help them to rip their prey apart, according to new research.
The metal is concentrated in the cutting edge and tips of their curved, serrated teeth, staining them orange, scientists wrote in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Komodo dragons are native to Indonesia and weigh around 80 kilograms (176 pounds) on average. They eat almost any kind of meat and are known as deadly predators.
A team of researchers led by Aaron LeBlanc, a lecturer in dental biosciences at King’s College London, analyzed Komodo dragon teeth using advanced imaging and chemical analysis, according to a statement from the university.
They found that the iron is concentrated in a thin coating that acts as a protective layer that keeps them sharp, LeBlanc told CNN on Wednesday.
“If they didn’t have this iron coating I’m sure the enamel on the cutting edges would wear away very quickly and the tooth would dull,” he said.
“That’s not very good for an animal that relies on having these razor blade sharp teeth to slice through meat.”
LeBlanc said he was surprised to find iron, as the metal is normally associated with the more complex teeth of mammals, such as beavers and rats, rather than reptiles, which tend to have simpler teeth.
“I saw it many times before I actually believed it,” he said. “The first few times I saw it I thought it was staining from feeding.”
“It looks like someone took an orange Sharpie or a fine paintbrush and painted the tip of the cutting edges orange,” he added.
LeBlanc analyzed teeth from museum collections as well as from a Komodo dragon named Ganus, which lived at London Zoo until it was euthanized last year.
Having a fresher sample from a zoo-kept animal was interesting because the whole jaw including the gum tissue was still intact, LeBlanc explained.
Analysis showed that iron was already present when the teeth erupted from the gum tissue, and was also present despite Ganus having a very different diet to wild Komodo dragons, he added.
The findings may help us understand how carnivorous dinosaurs, which had curved, serrated teeth similar to Komodo dragons, would have killed and eaten their prey, LeBlanc said.
However, at this stage it has not been possible to determine whether dinosaur teeth had high levels of iron, because the metal is very common and seeps into fossils over time, he added.
The next task is to analyze fossilized monitor lizard teeth and look for alternative markers that can help us to understand the composition of fossilized teeth, he said.
Benjamin Tapley, Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at the Zoological Society of London and co-author of the study, said in the statement that Komodo dragons are “inarguably impressive animals.”
“Komodo dragons are sadly endangered, so in addition to strengthening our understanding of how iconic dinosaurs might have lived, this discovery also helps us build a deeper understanding of these amazing reptiles as we work to protect them,” he said.
