La Brea Tar pits: stinky paleontological research (California)

It’s odd to find an active paleontological research site in an urban area such as Los Angeles, but that’s what this is. La Brea means “the tar” in Spanish, and this tar has done an excellent job of preserving the bones of animals that have fallen into its sticky and stinky sulfurous hold over tens of thousands of years. Whether the animals wandered in by accident or were carnivores looking to dine on the animals already trapped, many different kinds of animals have been found in the tar.

And these preserved bones aren’t just found on the official site. In 2006, an adjacent building doing construction found many bones from extinct animals, including those of a mammoth, a saber-toothed cat, a ground sloth, dire wolves, and an American cave lion. Other animals found during excavations include horses, coyotes, badgers, camels, bats, shrews, rabbits, and black bears. Additionally, a young woman’s bones were found in the pits as well. An on-site museum showcases some of the finds, as well as other natural items that have been preserved the same way (wood, leaves, seeds, etc).