Fossil Sea Cow Tusk from Khor Al Adid

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Object Details

Collector

Qatar Museums

Summary

This 3D model shows part of a tusk belonging to fossil sea cow discovered in outcrops near the Inland Sea of Qatar. Today, dugongs inhabit the coastlines of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Dugongs, like manatees from the Americas, are herbivorous marine mammals that eat plants on the seafloor. Dugongs in particular use their tusks to excavate seagrass roots and create pits in the seafloor, which makes them ecosystem engineers because their activities support the health of seagrass ecosystems. This tusk belonged to an ancient sea cow that was distantly related to today’s dugongs and manatees.

Credit Line

Digitized with permission of Qatar's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and Qatar Museums. These fossils are registered under Heritage Area 23400 for Qatar Museums and protected by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Qatar Museums Identifier

ARC-2024_28_0019

Field Identifier

NDP300424-3

Site Name

Khor Al Adaid

Taxonony

Vertebrata, Mammalia, Eutheria, Sirenia

Data Source

NMNH - Paleobiology Dept.

Metadata Usage

Usage conditions apply

Record ID

dpo_3d_250003