If you need another reason to never leave home, just know about the legendary bloodthirsty giant reptile, known to feed on humans and whose teeth are coated in iron.
Some very brave researchers at King’s College London made the discovery in the tooth arrangement of the Komodo dragon, which can grow to over 10 feet (3 meters) and 360 pounds (163 kilograms). The researchers examined the skulls and teeth of specimens kept in museums, as well as the mouths of living Komodo dragons kept at London Zoo.
Upon closer examination of the teeth, the researchers discovered that not only were they curved and jagged, helping to tear flesh, but they also had strange orange lines. Close inspection of the discoloration revealed that it was the result of a thin layer of iron. They speculate that the metal is a protective layer that helps the teeth maintain a lethal edge. The team then examined tooth samples from other members of the monitor lizard family and found that some also had iron coatings.
This discovery report in diary natural ecology and evolution, is the result of a happy accident. Scientists study the teeth of Komodo dragons not for the pure purpose of fueling nightmares (although they undoubtedly succeeded in that goal), but to gain insights into ancient predators like Tyrannosaurus rex that had similar tooth shapes eating habits. The unexpected discovery of iron in Komodo dragon teeth has now prompted a research team to investigate whether this feature was also present in dinosaurs.
Aaron LeBlanc, lecturer in dental biosciences at King’s College London, said: “We hope to use this similarity to learn more about how carnivorous dinosaurs might have eaten, and whether they had special features in their teeth like the Komodo dragons. Use iron. Press release.
However, as dinosaur teeth fossilized, their chemical composition changed, making it impossible — or at least currently impossible — to detect whether iron was once present in their teeth. Still, there are some similarities between the chewing devices of Komodo dragons and Tyrannosaurus rex.
“Large carnivorous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus really changed the structure of the tooth edge enamel itself,” LeBlanc said. “So while Komodo dragons changed the chemical composition of their teeth, some dinosaurs changed the structure of their enamel to maintain sharp cutting edges.”
However, LeBron has not given up hope. With further research, it may be possible to devise new methods to detect other iron markers in Komodo dragon teeth. In theory, these techniques could be applied to search for iron in fossilized dinosaur teeth.
If all this scares you, it might be comforting to know that Komodo dragon attacks on humans are fairly rare, although when they do happen, they’re rare. absolutely cruel. Just further confirmation that they are indeed the most metal-rich of all living lizards.
