Now a study of fossil evidence from Australia, Timor, Flores, Java and India shows that Komodo Dragons most likely evolved in Australia and dispersed westward to Indonesia. Some of the fossils that have been studied are new to the world and some are material that has never been seen before.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, was led by researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the Australian National University (ANU) and the National Museum of Australia (NMA) in Canberra. The research was conducted by a team of scientists from UNSW, ANU, NMA and CSIRO in collaboration with the Indonesian Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) at Jakarta University.
IVPP is an independent, non-governmental organization dedicated to the study and conservation of extinct animals and plants from Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia and Australia.
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What did Komodo dragons evolve from?
Scientists found that the komodo dragon’s ancestors were bred with sand monitor lizards from australia and new zealand. The study, published today in the journal Nature Communications, suggests that the two species may have co-existed for hundreds of millions of years, and may even have interbred with each other.
“This is the first time that we’ve been able to show that two different species of lizard can interbreed,” said lead author Dr David Goulson, from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. “It’s a really exciting discovery.” .
Can a Komodo dragon kills human?
A person can be killed by Komodo dragons in a matter of hours. Komodo dragon is one of the most venomous reptiles in the world, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is also known as the “king of snakes” because of its ability to swallow its prey whole.
What animal kills a Komodo dragon?
Young dragons are preyed upon by adult dragons, civet cats, and snakes. Komodo dragons are solitary animals except during breeding, when groups of dragons may gather to feed at night. Komodo dragon eggs are laid singly or in small groups and hatch in a matter of weeks. The young are weaned from their mother within a few days and are able to fend for themselves in the wild.
Are Komodo dragons descendants of dinosaurs?
It’s very likely that dinosaurs are close ancestors of giant komodo dragons. What’s more, the fossil record shows that the dinosaurs that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 65 million years ago, were very different from the ones that live today. They were much larger, had a much longer neck and were more closely related to crocodiles, birds and mammals than they are to today’s dinosaurs.
Can a Komodo dragon be a pet?
So no, it is illegal to own a Komodo Dragon as a pet. It is illegal to remove one of these lizards from their native habitat without the owner’s permission. Dragons can be found in the wild in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and Lombok.
Are Komodo dragons bulletproof?
Varanus komodoensis, a giant flesh-eating lizard that kills water buffalo, eats children, and is impervious to bullets, is one of the cool living animals on the planet. It’s also the largest lizard in the world, with a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) and a body weight of more than 1,000 kilograms (2,500 pounds).
That’s a lot of weight to carry around, especially when you consider that it can grow to be as big as a house cat. And that’s not even considering the fact that its scales are so tough that they can withstand a bullet from a.50-caliber machine gun, which is pretty impressive for a reptile of its size. But the most impressive thing about this lizard is its ability to fly.
It can fly at speeds of over 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph), making it the fastest land-based animal on Earth, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It also has the longest neck of any land animal, reaching a length of 1.8 meters, or 6 feet, at the shoulder.
What is the largest lizard on earth?
One of the few lizards with the ability to breathe underwater are the Komodo dragons. They are found in tropical and subtropical areas of South and Central America, Africa, Asia and Australia.
