"Sand monitors only occur in Australia and southern New Guinea, whereas the Komodo dragon is only found on a handful of islands in Indonesia. They have more in common with the Komodo dragon than you'd expect," Mr Pavón Vázquez said. In this case it happened millions of years ago, but the signs are still there in the sand monitors. "This study proves hybridisation can have a long-lasting effect. Lead author of the study, Mr Carlos Pavón Vázquez said it's the first clear evidence of this type of interbreeding, known as hybridization, happening in wild monitor lizards. While here it reproduced with a different species of lizard-an ancestor of the sand monitor, a type of goanna. The new study shows despite famously making its home in Indonesia, the Komodo dragon likely originated in Australia, as predicted by earlier fossil findings. The Komodo dragon is best known for its size and hunting skills, reaching up to three meters long and preying on buffaloes, deer, and even the occasional human.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |