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Tar pits, sometimes referred to as asphalt pits, are large asphalt deposits. They form in the presence of petroleum , which is created when decayed organic matter is subjected to pressure underground.
The La Brea Tar Pits is an active paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; brea in Spanish) has seeped up from the ground for tens of thousands of years.
La Brea Tar Pits. Step into an Ice Age adventure. Unearth mysteries deep beneath your feet, witness fossil discoveries, and explore exhibits of mammoth proportions. Dive into a unique journey through time, as you investigate the science and history preserved by the Tar Pits.
Learn about fossiliferous tar pits around the world and how they preserve past ecosystems. Explore the B.R.E.A.S. Project, a collaboration to support research and education at asphaltic sites.
Learn how the La Brea Tar Pits, a famous site of fossil discoveries in Los Angeles, were formed by ancient petroleum seepage and how they have been excavated and studied for over a century. Discover the diverse and abundant animal and plant remains, and the ongoing Project 23 that aims to double the museum's collection.
- Jessika Toothman
- As of the last count of the La Brea collection at the National History Museum of Los Angeles County, more than 3.5 million specimens have been foun...
- Serious scientific excavations didn't commence at the La Brea Tar Pits until the beginning of the 20th century. However, the history of the tar pit...
- The Museum of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley says "[t]ar pits form when crude oil seeps to the surface through fissures in...
- The fossils found in the La Brea Tar Pits are between 11,000 and 50,000 years old.
- The animal fossils that have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits include saber-toothed cats, dire wolves and mammoths, among others.
Tar pits are especially important for scientists in areas where fossils don't normally preserve well, such as the Neotropics. Zoom in and click on the map icons to learn about fossiliferous tar pits around the world!
Visit the only actively excavated Ice Age fossil site in the world, where mammoths, sloths, and other animals were trapped in sticky asphalt. Explore the museum, the lake, the playground, and the Pleistocene Garden with native plants from the Ice Age.
