Fossils have been found that indicate sea cows have played a role in shaping the Arabian Gulf's seagrass ecosystems for over 20 million years. The discovery includes fossils of a species that lived around 21 million years ago and fed on seagrass. The fossils, which include those of a species known as salwasiren qatarensis, provide evidence of the sea cows' long history of ecosystem engineering in the region.