By Komodo dragon teeth are ironclad. Literally.
The serrated edges and tips of the reptiles’ razor-sharp chompers are lined with a layer of iron, researchers report July 24 in Nature Ecology & Evolution. This metal coating may reinforce each tooth, helping Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) safely tear through the flesh of deer or water buffalo.
Iron teeth aren’t unique to these reptiles — beaver teeth get their toughness from iron-infused enamel, says paleontologist Aaron LeBlanc of King’s College London. But in Komodo dragons, the iron is piped on top of the enamel, “sort of like icing on a cake,” he says.
