Ancient crocodile species links Egypt and Malaysia
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Scientists recently identified a new crocodilian species, Herugavialis cairensis, from fossils found in the same Egyptian geological formation as the Great Sphinx.
The 45-million-year-old reptile possessed a long snout and belonged to the gavial lineage, a group known for fish-eating habits. Researchers at University College London re-examined a skull first described in 1927 and determined it was distinct enough to warrant a new genus and species.
The name Herugavialis cairensis references Horus, an ancient Egyptian god linked to the Sphinx, and acknowledges the fossil’s origin near the famous monument. While not a direct ancestor, this ancient crocodile shares a lineage with the false gharial, Tomistoma schlegelii, currently found in parts of Malaysia and Sarawak. Researchers have recently recorded the false gharial in several Malaysian states including Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Terengganu, where it lives in freshwater rivers and peat swamps.
Fossil evidence indicates that gavials once lived across Europe, Africa, and the Americas, with some species inhabiting marine environments. Changing climate and sea levels, particularly the drying of the Mediterranean Sea around six million years ago, caused a decline in crocodilian diversity in that region. Today, gavials are limited to parts of South and Southeast Asia, with the false gharial representing a surviving branch of this ancient family.
