The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The La Brea Tar Pits are an active fossil locality in Hancock Park, Los Angeles, where asphalt preserved a diverse late-Pleistocene community. Dire wolves, saber-toothed cats, coyotes, mammoths, and ground sloths are among the notable mammals found there, while delicate remains such as hollow bird bones and microfossils offer evidence about ancient ecosystems and climate.
These fossils are not all from one moment, and they are not dinosaurs. They help researchers study the animals that lived in the region and the environments that changed around them. The examples below are a selection, not a ranking or a complete list of the site’s finds.
Notable animals from La Brea
Dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus)
The museum reports about 4,000 dire wolf individuals represented at the site. That is a count of fossils in the collection, not a census of every dire wolf that lived in the region. The large collection gives researchers substantial material to study, but the count alone does not establish how individual animals behaved.
Saber-toothed cat (Smilodon fatalis)
More than 2,000 saber-toothed cat individuals are represented at La Brea, according to the museum. This extinct cat is one of the site’s best-known animals. It was not a tiger; the name “saber-toothed cat” avoids that misleading comparison.
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Coyote
The coyote is among the notable mammals identified by the museum. Its presence provides a useful contrast with extinct Ice Age animals: some mammals disappeared from the region while others, including coyotes, survived. The fossils contribute to research into that changing animal community.
Mammoth
Mammoths are among the museum’s notable La Brea finds. The site’s mammoth fossils belong in the story of California’s late-Pleistocene fauna, not the age of dinosaurs. Avoid confusing a mammoth with a mastodon: they are different kinds of extinct proboscideans, and a specimen’s identification should follow the museum’s current records.
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Harlan’s ground sloth (Paramylodon harlani)
The museum identifies Harlan’s ground sloth among the large Ice Age animals found at La Brea. It also reports that three kinds of sloths have been found at the site. These finds show that the term “sloth” includes extinct ground-dwelling forms as well as the smaller tree-dwelling sloths alive today.
What else was preserved?
La Brea is important for more than famous large mammals. Asphalt preservation includes delicate remains, including hollow bird bones, and smaller fossils. The museum says microfossils offer clues about ancient ecosystems and climate.
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The collection’s scale should be described with its date: the museum reports that its last census, in 1992, counted more than 3.5 million specimens. That figure is not a current recount. Together, large fossils and small remains let researchers investigate a broader picture of the past than a display of skeletons alone can provide.
What do La Brea fossils reveal about extinction?
A 2023 Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County announcement described a peer-reviewed study using new radiocarbon dates from 169 fossils representing eight large-mammal species. The study linked the disappearance of southern California megafauna nearly 13,000 years ago to interacting factors including climate change, humans, and fire.
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That conclusion is about the evidence examined in the study; it should not be treated as a settled single explanation for every species or every extinction. Fossil dates and other evidence help researchers test how environmental change and human activity affected different animals.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently asked questions
Were dinosaurs found at the La Brea Tar Pits?
The famous La Brea finds discussed here are late-Pleistocene mammals, not non-avian dinosaurs. The museum’s collections also include bird remains; birds are living dinosaur descendants.
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How many specimens have been found at La Brea?
The museum reports that its last census, in 1992, counted more than 3.5 million specimens. This is a dated census figure, not a current total.
Why are so many dire wolf and saber-toothed cat fossils at La Brea?
The museum reports about 4,000 dire wolf individuals and more than 2,000 saber-toothed cat individuals represented. Those collection counts show how abundant their remains are at the site, but counts alone do not establish exactly how particular animals became trapped.
Are all La Brea fossils from the same time?
No. La Brea preserves a diverse late-Pleistocene fossil record rather than a snapshot of a single moment. Individual fossils need to be interpreted in their own context.
What can small fossils tell researchers?
The museum says microfossils offer clues about changes in ancient ecosystems and climate. Delicate remains, including hollow bird bones, also show that asphalt preserved more than large mammal skeletons.
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