For 4,500 years, the Great Sphinx in Giza, Egypt, has been shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Mysteries still linger and discoveries await deep inside the bedrock of one of Ancient Egypt’s most famous monuments. These discoveries now include a new species of extinct crocodile. And just like the Great Sphinx is missing the tip of its nose, the fossil crocodile is missing the tip of its snout. The newly discovered species Herugavialis cairensis is described in a study published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
The Great Sphinx stands at 66-feet-high, with the head of a man and the body of a lion. The lion’s body was used to represent a king as a demonstration of his power in sphinx statues. While we still don’t know exactly who built the Great Sphinx, it was likely carved during the Fourth Dynasty (2613–2494 BCE), during the reign of Khafre. Khafre is known for building the second of the famous Giza pyramids.
Read Full Article: https://www.popsci.com/environment/new-crocodile-rocks-great-sphinx-egypt/
