A Metal Smile

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The bite of a Komodo dragon is something to be feared.

Apart from being venomous, the monitor lizard species sports curved teeth with serrated edges that can cut through a prey’s flesh like butter.

Now, a new study found that those gnashers are coated in iron.

Study leader Aaron LeBlanc discovered this unique feature while researching the dentures of flesh-eating dinosaurs.

Although not a direct descendant of dinosaurs, Komodo dragons share some similarities with the extinct giant lizards, such as long, curved, jagged teeth.

LeBlanc was reviewing the dragon’s teeth when he noticed an orange tinge along the serrated edges, which he initially dismissed as stains from feeding.

But further analysis showed that it was an iron coating located within a thin layer of enamel – the protective, white outer cover seen in most animal teeth.

The team explained that this iron provides extra protection on the cutting edges and tips of the teeth, as well as acts as a barrier against acidic digestive juices, according to New Scientist.

Gnawing animals, such as beavers, rats and shrews have iron in their teeth, which toughens their bite. But scientists have long believed that reptiles don’t pack any iron because they tend to shed and grow new teeth.

“We’ve never seen iron in reptile teeth, which is very interesting,” co-author Domenic D’Amore told National Geographic.

Crocodilians – including crocodiles and alligators – can concentrate iron in their tooth enamel, but don’t have iron-rich caps like the Komodo.

Meanwhile, the paper also raises questions about whether ancient reptilians and some dinosaurs had similar adaptions, although the fossilization process could have destroyed the iron signal in their teeth.

“(The study) tells us that reptiles still hold a lot of surprises,” LeBlanc told National Geographic. “It’s leading down a whole new avenue of research.”