Today, long-snouted gavial crocodiles are represented by only two endangered species restricted to freshwater habitats in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. However, their evolutionary record spans 80 million years back to the era of the dinosaurs, encompassing more than 40 known species that once inhabited environments across the globe.
The Discovery
A research team led by a scientist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, alongside international colleagues, recently re-evaluated fossils gathered from northeastern Egypt during the 1920s. These specimens originated from the Mokattam Formation, a 45-million-year-old limestone deposit created when regional sea levels were much higher. Notably, this same rock formation was used 4,500 years ago to construct the Great Sphinx of Giza.
The analyzed fossil included an almost complete skull that was missing the end of its snout, mirroring how the Great Sphinx is famously missing the tip of its nose. Because of this connection, researchers named the new species Herugavialis cairensis after the falcon-headed Egyptian deity Heru.
What Scientists Found
First classified in 1927 as a close relative of modern gavials, the skull was re-examined using modern CT scanning technology. This revealed distinct skeletal features, including raised rims around the eye sockets that are absent in living species.
Scanning technology also allowed researchers to examine the internal brain and sensory anatomy of prehistoric gavials. They discovered a thickening of the outer inner ear wall in certain extinct species, an anatomical trait that allowed ancient gavials to withstand deep ocean pressures and cross open seas—a marine capability that modern freshwater gavials have lost.
Why It Matters
Ancient gavials thrived in the shallow marine waters covering northern Africa and southern Europe for tens of millions of years, surviving even the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. However, approximately 6 million years ago, the Mediterranean Sea was cut off from the Atlantic Ocean, triggering the Messinian salinity crisis. As the trapped seawater evaporated and grew increasingly salty, crocodiles disappeared from the Mediterranean region and never returned.
Source: dinosaur fossil discovery - BingNews · Published October 30, 2026 · Photo by Own Enezat on Unsplash
