La Brea Tar Pits

Location, name and history

Hancock Park was established around the visible seeps and is located in the urban core of Los Angeles. The Spanish word for tar, brea, gave the site its familiar name. The tar pits were known to local Indigenous peoples and later to settlers; over the last century organized excavations and curation have produced thousands of specimens and numerous scientific publications. The area is a protected public park and is designated as a National Natural Landmark.

Geology and formation

The seepage originates from subsurface petroleum that migrated toward the surface. As lighter fractions evaporate, the remaining hydrocarbons become viscous and form asphalt or tar. When these pools are covered by water they can resemble shallow ponds; animals that approached to drink or forage sometimes became mired and sank into the bitumen. Over time, bones and other organic remains became encased within the asphalt and were shielded from oxygen and most scavengers, promoting exceptional preservation and eventual fossilization of those materials as fossils.

Taphonomy and preservation processes

The tar creates an anoxic, chemically reducing environment that limits microbial decay and deters many decomposers. Fine sediments, plant debris and insect material can also be trapped, producing a record that includes not only large vertebrates but small mammals, birds, plants, pollen and invertebrates. The concentration of carnivore remains is notable: predators and scavengers attracted to struggling herbivores frequently became trapped themselves, resulting in assemblages that inform studies of predator-prey interactions.

Fossil record and notable species

• Smilodon (saber-toothed cat)
• Dire wolves and other canids
• Mammoths, camels and ground sloths among large herbivores
• Numerous small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, plant remains and pollen

Collections from La Brea document community composition, species abundance and morphological variation in Ice Age ecosystems. The site is particularly important for understanding North American megafauna that became extinct near the end of the Pleistocene.

Museum, research and public access

The on-site George C. Page Museum displays articulated skeletons, mounted specimens and rotating exhibits that interpret the scientific importance of the pits. Visitors can view ongoing excavations, watch fossil preparation in laboratory spaces, and learn about conservation techniques. The museum supports active research programs and collaborates with universities, laboratories and specialists worldwide.

Scientific methods and contributions

Work at La Brea has employed a range of modern analytical techniques, including radiocarbon dating, stable-isotope analysis and efforts to extract ancient DNA where preservation allows. Curated bones and associated materials continue to yield new data on diets, climate, migration and extinction processes. Studies based on La Brea material have contributed to broader debates about Pleistocene ecology, the effects of climate change and human interactions with megafauna.

Conservation, management and significance

As an urban paleontological site, La Brea faces unique management challenges related to excavation, display, conservation and public access. Professional curators maintain extensive collections, document provenance and apply conservation treatments to fragile specimens. Beyond its scientific value, the site is a significant educational resource that connects the public with deep time, urban natural history and the methods of paleontology.

Further information and resources

Researchers, students and visitors seeking more information can consult museum resources and published literature. General introductions and institutional pages provide accessible summaries of findings and opportunities to view active work and exhibits (see links to local and institutional resources for details). The La Brea Tar Pits remain an active center for fieldwork, curation and public science outreach and continue to shape understanding of Ice Age environments in what is now southern California.

For additional context on terminology and material types encountered at the site, see references on tar, the local geology and broader comparisons to other asphalt seep sites worldwide.