Doha, December 10 (QNA) - A scientific study conducted through a collaboration between Qatar Museums (QM) and the Smithsonian Institution has documented a new species of ancient marine mammal discovered in Qatar, named Salwasiren qatarensis.

This discovery, published in the rigorously peer-reviewed, open-access journal PeerJ, confirms that the Gulf region has been a prime habitat for dugongs and their ancestors for over 20 million years.

The newly described species is a smaller, ancient relative of the modern dugong (Dugong dugon). The naming holds significant national meaning: the genus "Salwasiren" references the vital Bay of Salwa, home to the Gulf's largest single herd of dugongs today, while the species name "qatarensis" is a direct and proud acknowledgment of the State of Qatar as the site of the finding.

The research centres on the Al Maszhabiya fossil site in southwestern Qatar, dating back to the Early Miocene epoch (around 21 million years ago). The site contains over 170 fossil sea cow localities, making Al Maszhabiya the richest assemblage of fossilised sea cow bones in the world.

Director of the Archaeology Department at Qatar Museums and co-author if the study, Faisal Al Naimi, emphasised the cultural importance by stating: "Dugongs are an integral part of our heritage. The findings at Al Maszhabiya remind us that this heritage is not confined to memory or tradition alone, but extends deep into geologic time, reinforcing the timeless relationship between our people and the natural world".

Dr. Ferhan Sakal, archaeologist and Head of Excavation and Site Management at Qatar Museums and a co-author of the paper, highlighted the importance of the designation remarking: "It seemed only fitting to use the country's name for the species as it clearly points to where the fossils were discovered. This collaboration is ensuring we provide the best possible protection and management for these sites".

Dr. Nicholas Pyenson, curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, confirmed that the density of the find proves that Salwasiren qatarensis played the same ecological role as the modern dugong- acting as one of the region's ecosystem engineers by maintaining vital seagrass meadows.

Dr. Ferhan Sakal noted that the findings offer key insights for future conservation efforts by saying: "If we can learn from past records how the seagrass communities survived climate stress or other major disturbances...we might set goals for a better future of the Arabian Gulf".

All data and 3D digital models of the fossils have been made publicly available via the open-source Smithsonian Voyager platform.

This groundbreaking research was made possible through a collaborative agreement between the Smithsonian Institution and Qatar Museums, with funding provided by the Qatar National Research Fund and the National Museum of Natural History.

Contributing authors and partners included the Smithsonian's Digitization Program Office, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Texas A&M University (Galveston and College Station), and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. (QNA)