{
  "id": 12626020,
  "title": "Scientists identify ancient Egyptian crocodile whose skull is missing its nose like the Sphinx",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/scientists-identify-ancient-egyptian-crocodile-whose-skull-is-missing",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-07T12:18:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/07/scientists-identify-ancient-egyptian-crocodile-whose-skull-is-missing-its-nose-like-the-sp"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists have recently determined the identity of an ancient Egyptian crocodile species based on a 45-million-year-old fossil skull, which bears a striking resemblance to the missing nose of the Great Sphinx. The fossil was discovered in the Mokattam Formation, the same limestone bedrock where the iconic monument was carved. The researchers, hailing from Egypt, the UK, Sweden, and Germany, have named this newfound creature Herugavialis cairensis.\n\nFirst identified as Tomistoma cairense in 1927, the species was previously classified under the same genus as the living false gharial. However, a closer examination of the skull's structure and evolutionary relationships revealed significant differences, leading to the designation of a new genus. These distinct traits include elevated, protruding eye sockets, which inspired the researchers to name the species after the Egyptian god Heru, in honor of the Sphinx's missing nose.\n\nThe ancient crocodile inhabited the region approximately 45 million years ago, during a time when much of the area was submerged under shallow seas. Herugavialis shared the landscape with two other long-snouted crocodile species. Like many of its relatives, the animal belonged to a group now represented only by the Indian gharial and false gharial. Fossil evidence indicates that these crocodiles once had a much broader distribution, with over 40 recognized species.\n\nThe researchers propose that as the climate cooled and sea levels fell, suitable habitats around the Mediterranean became scarce. However, subsequent warming events may have allowed the crocodiles' diversity to rebound. Further fossil discoveries could shed light on how these ancient crocodiles spread across the Mediterranean and the reasons behind their eventual disappearance from the region.",
  "summary": "A skull found nearly a century ago has helped Egyptian and European researchers revise part of the crocodile family tree, shedding light on the Mediterranean's prehistoric wildlife and revealing an unexpected connection to the Great Sphinx.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Nautilus",
        "title": "From the Great Sphinx’s Raw Materials, a New Crocodile Species Surfaces",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/from-the-great-sphinxs-raw-materials-a-new-crocodile-species-surfaces",
        "published": "2026-10-06T23:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "New crocodile species discovered in rocks used to build the Great Sphinx",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/new-crocodile-species-discovered-in-rocks-used-to-build-the-great",
        "published": "2026-10-06T23:00:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Great Sphinx rocks reveal new species of crocodile",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/great-sphinx-rocks-reveal-new-species-of-crocodile",
        "published": "2026-10-06T23:01:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Science News",
        "title": "An extinct crocodilian was found among rocks that built the Great Sphinx",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/an-extinct-crocodilian-was-found-among-rocks-that-built-the-great",
        "published": "2026-10-06T23:05:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Mongabay",
        "title": "New crocodile species found fossilized in stone used to build Egypt’s Great Sphinx",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/new-crocodile-species-found-fossilized-in-stone-used-to-build-egypts",
        "published": "2026-10-06T23:14:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Discover Magazine",
        "title": "This Newly Identified Species of Extinct Crocodile is Missing the Tip of Its Nose, Just Like the Great Sphinx",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/this-newly-identified-species-of-extinct-crocodile-is-missing-the-tip",
        "published": "2026-10-07T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}