A Lost Sea Cow World Resurfaces Beneath Qatar’s Desert

More than 20 million years ago, ancient sea cows shaped the Arabian Gulf’s seagrass meadows much like dugongs do today. A vast fossil bonebed in Qatar—one of the richest ever found—reveals a newly discovered miniature species, Salwasiren qatarensis, and paints a picture of a thriving Miocene ecosystem filled with marine life. The discoveries highlight a [...]