The La Brea Tar Pits are a group of natural asphalt seeps in the middle of Los Angeles, California, where crude oil seeping to the surface over tens of thousands of years trapped and preserved the bones of Ice Age animals. Excavations beginning in the early twentieth century have recovered millions of fossil specimens representing hundreds of species, including saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, mammoths and ground sloths, making the site one of the richest sources of Pleistocene fossils in the world. The tar continues to seep today, and the surrounding Hancock Park and its museum remain an active excavation site.
Facts
Classification
Protected StatusNational Monument or Landmark 1 Connections
In Discipline
Source La Brea Tar Pits (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Wikidata: La Brea Tar Pits
Sources
1. La Brea Tar Pits (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia article lead, protection designation
play of preserved specimens. The La Brea Tar Pits is recognized as a registered National Natural Landmark.
In Discipline: Geomorphology, Lead paragraph
The La Brea Tar Pits constitute an active paleontological research site located in urban Los Angeles, California, United States.
In Group: Cenozoic and Ice Age Fossil Sites, Lead sentence
Hancock Park was established around a cluster of tar pits formed by natural asphalt (also referred to as asphaltum, bitumen, pitch or brea in Spanish) that has continuously seeped upward from the ground for tens of thousands of years.
View the SourceWikidata: La Brea Tar Pits
Wikidata Q1147168, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.