LaBrea Tar Pits

 The LaBrea Tar Pits are right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles.  In the early years of the 20th century, oil was drilled at and around the Tar Pits.  Then some amazing discoveries were made.  Skeletal remains began to be found that turned out to be from extinct animals that lived and roamed around this area millions of years ago.

Prehistoric camels lived here.

In pre-History  crude oil began to seep up through a fault in the ground and gradually evaporated into natural asphalt.  Since leaves and grass covered the asphalt, animals did not know it was there until they became trapped in the pits. They were preserved by the asphalt and gradually petrified.

A Columbian Mammoth skeleton from the Tar Pits.

More than 1,600 Dire Wolf skeletons have been recovered. The Dire Wolf lived from about 125,000 to 10,000 years ago.  It is thought that the Dire wolves spotted other animals trapped in the pits and when they sought to prey upon the trapped animals they themselves became caught in the tar.

California Sabre Toothed Tiger.

If you are in Los Angeles, don’t miss this often overlooked destination.