Patong-Capitol in Komodo National Park, the largest of the islands on the island of Komodo, is home to the most well-preserved pre-contact Komodo civilization, with evidence of highly developed social organization and technology (Ledesma-Parra et al. 2016, Table 2). The inhabitants of the volcano-tectonic island were once a population of some 2,000 individuals, who settled along the coasts of present-day Komodo and neighboring islands. They lived mainly by hunting and gathering of seafood, fruits, and tubers. The Komodo islands are located in the East Nusa Tenggara region of Indonesia. Together with Flores, they form part of the Flores and Sula Islands archipelago, one of the two most biogeographically isolated archipelagos in the world. The composition and number of islands within Komodo National Park change frequently as the islands are active volcanoes. As of July 2016, the Komodo National Park encompasses nine islands including Komodo Island, Rinca Island, and four others. The Komodo National Park is home to endemic Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis). Komodo dragons are known to predate on domestic pigs and cattle and destroy crops, particularly those of maize and rice (Suharto et al. 2010; Powers et al. 2011; Rendon et al. 2016; Dietrich et al. 2016). The fossil record suggests that V. komodoensis spread throughout the islands of Komodo and Flores during the late Miocene, approximately 11 to 4 million years ago (Mya; J. Leng & W. Leng, 2012). Further, the fossil record demonstrates that Komodo dragons migrated from the island of Flores, across the Wallace Line, into Flores (J. Leng & W. Leng, 2012). Additional evidence suggests that Komodo dragons spread across the island of Timor, through Indonesia, to Borneo, where they are now absent (J. Leng & W. Leng, 2012). Komodo dragons can be identified by several unique morphological and behavioral traits. First, they are sexually dimorphic. Komodo dragons are the only lizards known to be completely hairless, and females have three eyelids, while males have two (Suharto et al. 2010). They are also known to be crepuscular. Komodo dragons are nocturnal hunters, which makes them the only known lizard with an active, crepuscular lifestyle ( ac619d1d87
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