Fossilized Dugong

This object features two fossilized fragments of a vertebra and a rib from a prehistoric marine animal belonging to the sea cow family (Sirenia). The fossils were discovered in the Dammam Formation in Qatar and are estimated to be around 40 million years old, dating back to the Eocene epoch.

These fossils represent the earliest known evidence of sea cows in the region, indicating that these marine mammals have inhabited Qatari waters since ancient times. Remarkably, members of the sea cow family still live in the waters near Qatar today, creating a connection between the region’s deep geological past and its present-day marine environment.