Historic Egyptian crocodile discovery reshapes understanding of its evolution

A group of Egyptian palaeontologists has found a brand new species of historical crocodile in Egypt’s Western Desert that lived round 80 million years in the past — a discover that’s reshaping scientists’ understanding of crocodile evolution.

The discovery, revealed in The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, describes Wadisuchus kassabi, now recognised because the earliest recognized member of the extinct crocodile household Dyrosauridae — a lineage that thrived in coastal and marine environments reasonably than rivers and swamps like their fashionable family members.

The fossils, unearthed close to the Kharga and Baris oases, embody two partial skulls and two snout ideas representing 4 people at completely different development levels, providing uncommon perception into how dyrosaurids developed. High-resolution CT scans and 3D floor modelling revealed beforehand unseen anatomical particulars.

Lead creator Sara Saber, Assistant Lecturer at Assiut University and a member of the Mansoura University Vertebrate Palaeontology Centre, stated Wadisuchus kassabi was a 3.5–4-metre-long crocodile-like reptile with a protracted snout and tall, sharp enamel.

“It differed from other dyrosaurids by having four teeth at the front of the snout instead of five, nostrils positioned on top for surface breathing, and a deep notch at the tip where the jaws met,” Saber defined. “These features show a gradual adaptation in the dyrosaurid bite and mark an important step in their evolutionary history.”

The discovery additionally strengthens proof that Africa was the cradle of dyrosaurid evolution. Saber famous that the brand new species suggests the group’s diversification started sooner than beforehand believed — in the course of the Early Coniacian–Santonian interval (87–83 million years in the past) reasonably than the Maastrichtian (72–66 million years in the past).

The species’ title displays each Egypt’s panorama and heritage: “Wadi” for the New Valley the place it was discovered, “Suchus” after the traditional crocodile god Sobek, and “kassabi” in honour of Professor Ahmed Kassab of Assiut University, a pioneer of Egyptian palaeontology.

Researchers say the invention highlights the Western Desert’s significance as a window into Earth’s historical previous — and a reminder that these fossil-rich landscapes should be preserved amid ongoing city and agricultural growth.