‘Sphinx Crocodile’ Roamed Egypt’s Seas 45 Million Years Ago

A new study of Egyptian fossils dating back 45 million years has identified a previously unknown extinct species of long-snouted crocodile.

Dubbed the “Sphinx crocodile,” the ancient predator inhabited the seas that once covered parts of what is now Egypt. The discovery adds to the record of crocodiles that lived in marine environments millions of years ago.

Its elongated snout is a defining feature of the newly identified species. The fossils offer researchers another example of the varied forms these reptiles took in the distant past.

The finding also provides fresh evidence of ancient crocodile diversity in the Mediterranean, helping broaden the picture of the region’s prehistoric marine life.