Brief
New 45‑Million‑Year‑Old Egyptian Crocodile Species Identified
CT scans of a near‑complete skull led to the naming of Herugavialis cairensis, a marine gavialoid from the Eocene.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Scientists have described a new extinct crocodile species, Herugavialis cairensis, from Egypt's 45‑million‑year‑old Mokattam Formation, according to scitechdaily.com.
What happened
The fossils, originally recovered in the 1920s and long thought to belong to the false gharial (Tomistoma), were re‑examined with CT scanning. The analysis revealed distinct cranial features that warranted classification as a separate species.
What the reports add
Scitechdaily notes that the skull is nearly complete but missing the tip of its snout, a detail that inspired the name after the Egyptian god Heru, possibly linked to the Great Sphinx. The study, led by Dr Paul Burke of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, involved researchers from the UK, Sweden, Germany and Egypt.
What was said
"Given this coincidence with the famously missing nose of the Great Sphinx, we decided to name the new crocodile after the Egyptian god Heru," Professor Philip Mannion of University College London told scitechdaily.com.
"Throughout much of the last 50 million years, the Mediterranean region hosted a high diversity of crocodiles, including gavials," Burke added, noting that the group later vanished as the Mediterranean dried about 6 million years ago.
How it came about
The Mokattam Formation once lay beneath shallow seas, allowing marine gavialoids like Herugavialis to coexist with at least two other long‑snouted crocodile species. Modern gavials are now restricted to freshwater habitats in South Asia, making this marine Eocene find a rare glimpse into past crocodile distribution.
Key facts
- The new species is named Herugavialis cairensis. (scitechdaily.com)
- Fossils come from Egypt's 45‑million‑year‑old Mokattam Formation. (scitechdaily.com)
- CT scans revealed a nearly complete skull missing the snout tip. (scitechdaily.com)
- Lead author is Dr Paul Burke of the Swedish Museum of Natural History. (scitechdaily.com)
- The name references the Egyptian god Heru and the Great Sphinx. (scitechdaily.com)
Sources
- [1] scitechdaily.com — originally reported as “Scientists Discover 45-Million-Year-Old Crocodile With a Strange Connection to Egypt’s Great Sphinx”
