Komodo dragon collision between Australia and Southeast Asia allowed these larger varanids to move back into what is now the Indonesian archipelago, extending their range as far east as the island of Timor. The Komodo dragon was believed to have differentiated from its Australian ancestors 4 million years ago. However, recent fossil evidence from Queensland suggests the Komodo dragon actually evolved in Australia before spreading to Indonesia. Dramatic lowering of sea level during the last glacial period uncovered extensive stretches of continental shelf that the Komodo dragon colonised, becoming isolated in their present island range as sea levels rose afterwards. Extinct Pliocene
Attenborough's fan-throated lizard a unique coastal micro-habitat of sand dunes and spiny grasses. As it is the only area in the region where this habitat type still remains, it is likely endemic to this small area. This makes it highly at risk from threats such as tourism development and fire. Attenborough's fan-throated lizard Attenborough's fan-throated lizard ("Sitana attenboroughii)" is a species of fan-throated lizards in the genus "Sitana" found in coastal Kerala in southern India. This species was described in 2018 and is morphologically close to "Sitana visiri", but has a higher numbers of ventral scales and a comparatively short but richly colored