The first fossil from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles was confirmed in 1875 by geologist William Denton. This first fossil was an ancient saber-toothed cat. In 1924, George Allan Hancock donated 23 acres of his family’s ranch to the County of Los Angeles so that it could become a public park which would protect the tar pits and safeguard the fossils. In 1977, the Page Museum (also known as the Tar Pits Museum) opened to the public.
According to the Museum display:
“Early scientists recovered over one million fossils from Rancho La Brea between 1906 and 1915. They collected only the larger bones and discarded the asphalt-soaked sediments in which they were embedded. This material, called matrix, was later found to contain a wealth of small fossils, such as seeds, snails, insects, and microscopic pollen. In order to investigate these and other neglected aspects of the deposits, the Rancho La Brea Project was started Friday, June 13, 1969 (Asphalt Friday).”
The Nature of the Fossil Record
Paleontologists study the past through the fossil record. The fossil record is, of course, always incomplete. According to the Museum display:
“There are many conditions which affect the nature of the specimens preserved within the asphalt deposits or ‘tar pit.’ Some animals die a distance away and their bones may be abraded (water worn) or broken, and scattered as they are washed into the pits by streams or floods. Because the cool winter months cause the asphalt to harden, some bones may lay exposed on the surface and splinter (surface weathering), or may be disturbed by other animals.”
Pit wear may occur as the bones grind against each other due to the bubbling gases in the pit.
More Paleontology
Paleontology 101: The Mesozoic--The Age of Dinosaurs (Photo Diary)
Paleontology 101: Dinosaur Hall (Photo Diary)
Paleontology 101: Wolves, Dogs, Cats, and Bears (Photo Diary)
Paleontology 101: Bears, Pronghorns, and Pigs
Paleontology 101: Bison and Camels at La Brea Tar Pits
Paleontology 101: American Mastodons at the La Brea Tar Pits
Paleontology 101: The American Mastodon at the Hagerman Fossil Beds
Paleontology 101: The Hagerman Horse, Equus Simplicidens