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New crocodile species found fossilized in stone used to build Egypt’s Great Sphinx

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 06/10/2026, 23:24:24 UTC.

Briefings

A paleontological study published in Royal Society Open Science identifies a new crocodile species named Herugavialis cairensis, based on fossils recovered in the 1920s from Egypt's Mokattam Formation. The fossil, dating to approximately 45 million years ago, shares the distinctive missing nose with the Great Sphinx, leading researchers to name it after the Egyptian god Heru. The study, led by Paul Burke, utilized CT scans to reveal skeletal features distinguishing it from the previously classified Tomistoma genus. While the species is confirmed, the article notes that gavials once lived nearly worldwide, but the specific geographic range of Herugavialis remains partially unexplored in this context.

Key points

• The fossil Herugavialis cairensis dates to approximately 45 million years ago and was recovered from the Mokattam Formation in northern Egypt during the 1920s.
• Researchers named the species after the Egyptian god Heru due to the fossil's missing nose, a trait shared with the Great Sphinx.

Context and limitations

The study is published in Royal Society Open Science and is presented as a preprint; specific geographic distribution data for the gavial lineage is noted as partially unexplored in the provided text.

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