Researchers identify new extinct crocodile species from sphinx limestone

Researchers at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, in collaboration with teams from Egypt and Germany, identified a new extinct species of gharial crocodile.

The team analyzed fossils found in the Mokattam limestone of northeastern Egypt, the same rock formation used to carve the Great Sphinx of Giza. The study, led by Paul Burke, used CT scans to examine the internal structures of the skulls.

These scans revealed anatomical differences, such as raised lips around the eye sockets, that distinguish the fossil from the modern Tomistoma schlegelii. The researchers named the new species Herugavialis cairensis to honor Heru, the falcon-headed Egyptian god often linked to the Sphinx. The fossil itself also lacks a tip of the snout, mirroring the missing nose of the Great Sphinx. The discovery provides insight into how gharials once inhabited diverse global environments.

While only two species of gharial survive today in the fresh waters of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, fossils show that over 40 species existed globally up to 80 million years ago. Some of these ancient species possessed physical adaptations for deep-sea life, a trait modern gharials have lost. Environmental shifts eventually drove these reptiles out of the Mediterranean region approximately 6 million years ago.

The researchers link this disappearance to the Messinian Salinity Crisis, an event where the Mediterranean nearly dried up and became too salty for even salt-tolerant animals. This historical event illustrates how rapid climate and salinity changes can permanently alter biodiversity over millions of years.