Komodo Dragons\u2019 Nightmare Iron-Tipped Teeth Are a Reptilian First<\/p>\n
Reptile teeth have long been considered simple and cheap because the animals replace them regularly. That isn’t so, Komodo dragons show<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
By Meghan Bartels<\/a><\/p>\n An adult Komodo dragon seen at a zoo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n J\u00fcrgen & Christine Sohns\/imageBROKER.com GmbH & Co. KG\/Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n There aren\u2019t many scenarios in which getting a good look at a bunch of Komodo dragon<\/a> teeth ends well. The massive lizard\u2019s mouth holds 60 serrated teeth, each up to an inch long, that get replenished throughout the creature\u2019s life. And dangling from the serrations are the remains of previous meals, plus dozens of bacteria that feast on them.<\/p>\n To be fair, Aaron LeBlanc, a paleontologist at King\u2019s College London, got his close look at Komodo dragon teeth minus the grizzly decor and detached from their ferocious owners. His examinations paid off. \u201cEvery now and then, I would see this sort of orange discoloration to the outer layer of the teeth,\u201d LeBlanc says. \u201cI honestly probably saw it three, four times and just dismissed it as staining from feeding.\u201d<\/p>\n But closer inspection proved that the orange hue LeBlanc saw on the serrations and tips of Komodo dragon teeth was iron<\/a> that was present before they ever took a bite. The result, described in research published on July 24 in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution<\/i>, is the first confirmed finding of iron chompers in reptiles. (Some fish and salamanders, as well as a handful of mammals\u2014most notably beavers\u2014are also known to include iron in their teeth.)<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing<\/a>. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.<\/p>\n Reptilian teeth have long been considered simple and cheap because they grow quickly and get replaced several times throughout their owner\u2019s life. Research like that in the new paper is changing that perception, however. \u201cWe\u2019re basically just starting to scratch the surface into how complex reptile teeth can actually be,\u201d says Kirstin Brink, a paleontologist at the University of Manitoba, who studies teeth but was not involved in the new study. \u201cNow that we\u2019re starting to actually take a closer look at different reptiles, we\u2019re finding all of these really cool adaptations.\u201d<\/p>\n Close-up images showing orange serrations running down the front and back of a Komodo dragon tooth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIron-coated Komodo Dragon Teeth and the Complex Dental Enamel of Carnivorous Reptiles,\u201d by A.R.H. LeBlanc et al., in Nature Ecology & Evolution. Published online July 24, 2024<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Komodo dragons, which can grow up to 10 feet long and live on a few islands in Indonesia, are typical reptiles in terms of teeth replacement, LeBlanc says. \u201cThey\u2019re basically tooth factories,\u201d he adds. The tip of each pointed tooth curves back into the animal\u2019s mouth, which allows it to tear off and swallow large chunks of meat. And the iron reinforcement is strategic as well, LeBlanc says. The orange detailing precisely marks a single line of serration running down the front and back of each tooth\u2014with the serrations more pronounced on the back\u2014and marks the tooth\u2019s tip: puncture, pull, swallow, repeat.<\/p>\n LeBlanc was drawn to the giant lizards\u2019 teeth because of their pointed, curved profile, which would look at home in the smiles of even more fearsome animals: dinosaurs<\/a>. Such comparisons are a valuable approach for paleontologists, Brink notes. \u201cWhen we\u2019re studying fossils, especially when we\u2019re trying to interpret behaviors which we can no longer observe because the animals are dead, we have to look to modern analogues,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Inspired by the Komodo dragon finding, LeBlanc and his colleagues looked for signs of similar iron reinforcement in the teeth of other living reptiles and dinosaurs. They discovered that a few different species of monitor lizards had the adaptation, though to a lesser extent, and that some crocodilians showed signs of iron in their teeth as well. For the dinosaur teeth, the team found iron throughout, but think it was likely deposited from the fossilization process, given the abundance of iron on Earth\u2019s surface. \u201cIron is probably the worst thing to look at in fossil reptile teeth,\u201d LeBlanc says. \u201cIf you bury a dinosaur tooth in the ground for tens of millions of years, iron will eventually seep into every nook and cranny.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, he and Brinks agree, the research suggests that scientists should take a closer look at teeth in living reptiles and dinosaurs alike, with eyes peeled for unexpected dental adaptations like those of the Komodo dragon. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t take for granted how complex reptile teeth can be,\u201d LeBlanc says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Komodo](\"https:\/\/static.scientificamerican.com\/dam\/m\/3e68afc46180c68f\/original\/K5TJK1.jpg?w=600\")
On supporting science journalism<\/h2>\n
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