Fossils of the four-metre-long prehistoric crocodile were found in the sun-baked Western Desert.
Based on the remains of four animals dug up in the arid plains of the Kharga Oasis, it is thought the species lived around 80 million years ago and is the earliest known member of dyrosauridae – a group of ancient crocodiles that thrived in coastal and marine environments.
Named Wadisuchus kassabi, the animal was 3.5–4 metres long with an elongated snout and large, sharp teeth, which it used to catch prey such as fish and turtles. Researchers say the discovery, published in The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, is vital for understanding how reptiles adapted and diversified after the extinction of the dinosaurs.