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Komodo dragons have iron-coated teeth, scientists find | Reptiles | The Guardian
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this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2024
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They aren't the only ones. Beavers do too! So does the Giant Pacific chiton (world's largest chiton, a type of mollusk).
Pretty useful for animals that have to scrape food off rocks or continually gnaw through something.
I guess Komodo dragons need those teeth to last, whereas sharks are just like "I got a million of these things."
Beavers keep growing their yeeth indefinitely too due to being rodents, but the iron buildup probably helps the teeth wear a bit slower.
The iron content in beaver teeth is concentrated at the front surface so that they are self-sharpening as they wear down.
And bloodworms have copper teeth! I guess they get it from the sediments they live in. That blew my mind, so finding this out about reptiles is so wild.
I didn't know that either about beavers. Or chitons. But I already knew about mollusks doing crazy things with iron, like that armor plated snail.
I'm surprised Komodo dragons need their teeth to last, reptiles afaik replace their teeth indefinitely
I just looked it up and apparently the iron is just to enhance the cutting surface. They do have teeth that replaced themselves indefinitely as well.
With beavers, the enamel is iron enhanced so it's stronger than the dentine behind. They wear unevenly, the back wearing down more easily than the front, which keeps the teeth sharp. They're incisors continue to grow indefinitely, but they don't get replacements if they lose one.