Extinct crocodile species found in Great Sphinx construction rocks
Researchers identified a new extinct crocodile species in fossils taken from the rocks used to build the Great Sphinx in Egypt.
New species named after location
The fossilized remains belong to a species called Herugavialis cairensis. Scientists found these bones inside the Mokattam Formation, which dates back 45 million years. Previous descriptions placed similar fossils in a different group of crocodiles.
Modern relatives live elsewhere
Living gavials are currently restricted to freshwater habitats on the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today only two species of this type remain alive in those regions. The ancient Egyptian fossil shows differences that separate it from modern false gharials.
Analysis used advanced tools
An international team applied CT scanning to examine the inside of the skull. This technology revealed specific distinctions between the new find and earlier classifications. The results were published in Royal Society Open Science.
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