Komodo dragons originate from Australia

Scientists have found evidence that the world's largest lizard species is alive - Komodo dragons - are likely to evolve in Australia and disperse westward to their current residence in Indonesian islands.

Earlier, researchers believed that the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) originated from a smaller species isolated on Indonesian islands. To compete with other predators, they have gradually grown in their size.

However, over the past three years, a group of international scientists have unearthed many fossils in eastern Australia dating back to 300,000-4,000 years ago and claim they belong to Komodo dragons.

Komodo Dragon (Photo: Dita Alangkara)

" When comparing these fossils to the bones of the present Komodo dragons, we find them identical - Scott Hocknull, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Queensland Museum, Australia, said. know - Now we can say Australia is home to 3m 3m long Komodo dragons .

According to the research group of Scott Hocknull, the ancestors of Komodo dragons are likely to grow in Australia and spread westward, to Flores island in Indonesia about 900,000 years ago. Comparison between Komodo fossils and dragons currently living on Flores Island, they found that the body size of this lizard species has been relatively stable since that time.

One question is why Komodo dragons were extinct in Australia but survived on some remote islands in Indonesia. According to Hocknull, the cause may be due to climate impacts.

Currently, Komodo dragons are in danger of extinction, with only about 5,000 live in some islands in eastern Indonesia, between Java and Australia.