La Brea Tar Pits Reveal Ice Age Extinction Clues Through Microfossils and Hollywood Lore
In Los Angeles, the La Brea Tar Pits hold a wealth of fossils dating back 60,000 years, featuring creatures such as saber-toothed cats and giant ground sloths. Research at this significant fossil site is spearheaded by paleoecologist Emily Lindsey and paleobotanist Regan Dunn. A 2023 paper published in Science, in collaboration with Marshall University and UC Irvine, pinpointed an extinction event approximately 13,200 years ago, associating human-induced fires with the decline of megafauna. Dunn's analysis of microfossils indicates a transition from pine forests to grasslands. Meanwhile, preparators like Sean Campbell and volunteers are engaged in Project 23, a dig site adjacent to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which boasts extensive collections. Plans for a revamped Ice Age research center are underway in anticipation of the 2028 Olympics.
Key facts
- La Brea Tar Pits contain fossils from the last 60,000 years, including extinct megafauna.
- A 2023 Science paper dated an extinction event to 13,200 years ago, linking it to human-set fires and climate change.
- Microfossils like phytoliths reveal habitat changes from forests to open grasslands.
- Project 23 involves excavating 23 crates from Los Angeles County Museum of Art construction, with bones still embedded in asphalt.
- The museum displays 400 dire wolf skulls and has over 9,000 fossils from Harlan's ground sloths.
- Hollywood productions like 'La Brea,' 'Volcano,' and 'Miracle Mile' feature the tar pits.
- The site is planning a redesign for a new Ice Age research center by the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- Nearby homeowners report asphalt seeps, and the area requires regular hazmat pumping.
Entities
Artists
- Michael Christopher Brown
- Richard Conniff
Institutions
- La Brea Tar Pits
- George C. Page Museum
- Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- International Union of Geological Sciences
- Marshall University
- University of California, Irvine
- UCLA
- Smithsonian magazine
- NBC
- Universal Studios
- Disney's Hollywood Land
- Science
- Venom
Locations
- Los Angeles
- California
- United States
- Hancock Park
- Wilshire Boulevard
- Lake Elsinore
- Channel Islands
- Africa
- North America