‘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 lived in the seas that once covered parts of what is now Egypt. The discovery adds to evidence of the diversity of crocodiles in the ancient Mediterranean.

The fossils belong to a crocodile distinguished by its elongated snout, the forward part of the head that includes the nose and jaws.

The find offers a new glimpse of Egypt’s prehistoric marine life, revealing another crocodile species that inhabited the region long before its modern coastlines took shape.