Scientists Make Jaw-Dropping Discovery in Rock Used to Build Sphinx

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   New Crocodile Species Identified from Great Sphinx Bedrock

   Paleontologists have identified a new extinct species of long-snouted crocodile, Herugavialis cairensis, from fossils found in the limestone used to sculpt the Great Sphinx of Giza. The 18-inch skull, discovered in the 1920s and held at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, was previously misclassified as the genus Tomistoma. A study led by Paul Burke and published October 7, 2026, determines the creature lived approximately 45 million years ago in the warm, shallow seas of northern Egypt.

   Why it matters

   The Great Sphinx was carved from the Eocene-aged Mokattam Formation bedrock. This discovery links the prehistoric biological history of the Giza Plateau to the geological material of Egypt's oldest known monumental sculpture.

   What is confirmed

   • The new crocodile species is named Herugavialis cairensis.
   • The fossil skull was extracted from the Mokattam Formation limestone used to build the Great Sphinx.
   • The animal lived approximately 45 million years ago.
   • The fossil skull is roughly 18 inches long.
   • The skull is missing its snout tip, similar to the missing nose of the Sphinx.
   • The fossil was originally discovered in the 1920s.
   • Paul Burke led the study published on October 7, 2026.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The fossil is 50 million years old.
   • The crocodile hunted in a warm, shallow sea.

   What to watch next

   • Further analysis of other fossils from the Mokattam Formation
   • Additional peer reviews of the Herugavialis cairensis classification
   Sources used for this update (23)

   1. en.wikipedia.org — Great Sphinx of Giza - Wikipedia
   2. The Washington Post — Scientists identify a crocodile they never knew existed
   3. Yahoo — In 2,500 B.C.E., Work on Egypt’s Great Sphinx Began. Now, the Same Rock Used in Construction Has Revealed a New Crocodile Species
   4. Euronews.com — Scientists identify ancient Egyptian crocodile whose skull is missing its nose like the Sphinx
   5. Sci.News — 45-Million-Year-Old Crocodile Skull from Egypt Gets New Name: Herugavialis cairensis
   6. The Daily Beast — Scientists Make Jaw-Dropping Discovery in Rock Used to Build Sphinx
   7. www.thedailybeast.com — Beach Boys Mystery Deepens as Comeback Concert Canceled
   8. www.thedailybeast.com — Scientists Make Jaw-Dropping Discovery in Rock Used to Build ...
   9. www.cnn.com — Scientists name ancient crocodile species found in rock that ...
   10. news.mongabay.com — New crocodile species found fossilized in stone used to build ...
   11. flipboard.com — How To Keep Wild Turkeys Out Of Your Yard—And What Attracts Them In The First Place
   12. www.discoverwildlife.com — New crocodile species discovered in rocks used to build Egypt ...
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