List of fossil species in the La Brea Tar Pits
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
File:La Brea Tar Pits.jpg
La Brea Tar Pits fauna as depicted by Charles R. Knight
Below is a list of species whose fossils have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits.[1][2] Daggers (†) denote extinct species.
Mammals
File:Camelops hesternus.jpg
Camelops hesternusin the George C. Page Museum
File:Canis dirus La Brea.jpg
Dire wolf skeleton in the museum
Columbian mammoth skeleton from the tar pits displayed in the Page museum
File:Glossotherium harlani p1350719.jpg
Paramylodon harlani from the La Brea Tar Pits
Cast of skull of "La Brea Woman" on display, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Artiodactyla
- Antilocapra americana (pronghorn)
- †Bison antiquus (ancient bison)
- †Bison latifrons (giant bison)
- †Camelops hesternus (American camel)
- †Capromeryx minor (dwarf pronghorn)
- Cf. Cervus canadensis (wapiti)
- † Cf. Euceratherium collinum (shrub-ox)
- †Hemiauchenia macrocephala (stilt-legged llama)
- Cf. Odocoileus hemionus (mule deer)
- Ovis aries (sheep)
- †Platygonus compressus (peccary)
Carnivora
- †Arctodus simus (short-faced bear)
- Bassariscus astutus (ring-tailed cat)
- †Canis dirus (dire wolf)
- Canis lupus familiaris (dog)
- †Canis latrans orcutti (Pleistocene coyote)
- Canis lupus (gray wolf)
- †Homotherium serum (scimitar cat)
- Lynx rufus (bobcat)
- Mephitis mephitis (striped skunk)
- †Miracinonyx inexpectatus (American cheetah)
- Mustela frenata (long-tailed weasel)
- †Panthera leo atrox (American lion)
- †Panthera onca augusta (Pleistocene North American jaguar)
- Procyon lotor (raccoon)
- Puma concolor (cougar)
- Urocyon cinereoargenteus (gray fox)
- Ursus americanus (American black bear)
- Ursus arctos horribilis (grizzly bear)
- †Smilodon fatalis (sabre-toothed cat)
- Spilogale gracilis (western spotted skunk)
- Taxidea taxus (American badger)
Chiroptera
- Antrozous pallidus (pallid bat)
- Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat)
Pilosa
- †Paramylodon harlani (Harlan's ground sloth)
- †Megalonyx jeffersonii (Jefferson's ground sloth)
- †Nothrotheriops shastensis (Shasta ground sloth)
Soricomorpha
- Notiosorex crawfordi (Crawford's gray shrew)
- Scapanus latimanus (broad-footed mole)
- Sorex ornatus (ornate shrew)
Lagomorpha
- Lepus californicus (black-tailed jackrabbit)
- Sylvilagus audubonii (desert cottontail)
- Sylvilagus bachmani (brush rabbit)
Perissodactyla
- †Equus conversidens (Mexican horse)
- †Cf. Equus occidentalis (western horse)
- †Tapirus californicus (California tapir)
Primates
Proboscidea
- †Mammut americanum (American mastodon)
- †Mammuthus columbi (Columbian mammoth)
Rodentia
- Dipodomys agilis (agile kangaroo rat)
- Microtus californicus (California vole)
- Neotoma fuscipes (dusky-footed woodrat)
- Onychomys torridus (southern grasshopper mouse)
- Perognathus californicus (California pocket mouse)
- †Peromyscus imperfectus (imperfect mouse)
- Reithrodontomys megalotis (western harvest mouse)
- Spermophilus beecheyi (California ground squirrel)
- Cf. Tamias merriami (Merriam's chipmunk)
- Thomomys bottae (Botta's pocket gopher)
Birds
File:Ciconia maltha.jpg
Ciconia maltha from the pits
File:Teratornis fossil.jpg
Teratornis skeleton
File:Polyborus prelutosus.jpg
C. c. grinelli fossil
File:Gymnogyps amplus.jpg
Fossil of Gymnogyps amplus
Accipitriformes
- Accipiter gentilis (northern goshawk)
- Accipiter striatus velox (sharp-shinned hawk)
- Accipiter cooperii (Cooper's hawk)
- †Amplibuteo woodwardi (Woodward's eagle)
- Aquila chrysaetos (golden eagle)
- Buteo jamaicensis (red-tailed hawk)
- Buteo swainsoni (Swainson's hawk)
- Buteo lagopus (rough-legged buzzard)
- Buteo regalis (ferruginous hawk)
- Buteo sp. (hawk)
- †Buteogallus fragilis (fragile eagle)
- Circus cyaneus (hen harrier)
- Elanus caeruleus (black-winged kite)
- Haliaeetus leucocephalus (bald eagle)
- †Neogyps errans (errant eagle)
- †Neophrontops americanus (American vulture)*
- †Spizaetus grinnelli (Grinnell's crested eagle)
- †Wetmoregyps daggetti (Daggett's eagle)
Anseriformes
- †Anabernicula gracilenta
- Anas platyrhynchos
- Anas strepera
- Anas platyrhynchos
- Anas crecca
- Anas cyanoptera
- Anas clypeata
- Anser albifrons
- Aythya valisineria
- Branta canadensis
- Cf. Branta bernicla
- Chen caerulescens
- Chen rossi
- Cygnus columbianus
Caprimulgiformes
Cathartiformes
- †Breagyps clarki (Brea condor)
- Cathartes aura (turkey vulture)
- †Cathartornis gracilis
- †Coragyps occidentalis
- †Gymnogyps amplus
- †Teratornis merriami (Merriam's giant condor)
Ciconiiformes
- †Ciconia maltha (La Brea stork)
- †Mycteria wetmorei
Charadriiformes
- Calidris alba
- Calidris alpina
- Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
- Charadrius vociferus
- Gallinago gallinago delicata
- Larus canus
- Limnodromus griseus
- Limosa fedoa
- Numenius americanus
- Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus
- Recurvirostra americana
- Rissa tridactyla
- Tringa melanoleuca
- Phalaropus fulicarius
- Pluvialis squatarola
Columbiformes
- Columba fasciata (band-tailed pigeon)
- †Ectopistes migratorius (passenger pigeon)
- Zenaida macroura (mourning dove)
Cuculiformes
Falconiformes
- Falco columbarius (merlin)
- Falco mexicanus (prairie falcon)
- Falco peregrinus (peregrine falcon)
- Falco sparverius (American kestrel)
- Falco sp. (falcon)
- †Caracara cheriway grinnelli (La Brea or northern caracara)
Galliformes
- Callipepla californica (California quail)
- †Meleagris californica (Californian turkey)
Gruiformes
Strigiformes
- Aegolius acadicus (northern saw-whet owl)
- Asio flammeus (short-eared owl)
- Athene cunicularia (burrowing owl)
- Bubo virginianus (great horned owl)
- Glaucidium gnoma (northern pygmy owl)
- †Oraristrix brea (La Brea owl)
- Otus asio (eastern screech owl)
- Tyto alba (barn owl)
Passeriformes
- Cf. Agelaius phoeniceus californicus
- Amphispiza belli
- Amphispiza bilineata
- Aphelocoma coerulescens californica
- Bombycilla cedrorum
- Carduelis pinus
- Carduelis tristis
- Chondestes grammacus
- Coccothraustes vespertinus
- Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Corvus caurinus
- Corvus corax
- Corvus cryptoleucus
- Cyanocitta stelleri
- Eremophila alpestris
- †Euphagus magnirostris
- Indeterminate Fringillidae
- Icterus spp.
- Lanius ludovicianus
- Melospiza melodia
- Molothrus ater
- Nucifraga columbiana
- Oreoscoptes montanus
- †Pandanaris convexa
- Cf. Parus gambeli
- Passerella iliaca
- Pica nuttalli
- Pheucticus melanocephalus
- Indeterminate Parulinae
- Pheucticus melanocephalus
- Pipilo erythrophthalamus
- Pipilo fuscus
- †Pipilo angelensis
- Pooecetes gramineus
- Cf. Sialia mexicana
- Spizella passerina
- Spizella sp.
- Sturnella neglecta
- Toxostoma redivivum
- Turdus migratorius
- Tyrannus vociferans
- Xanthocephalus sp.
- Zonotrichia leucophrys
Pelecaniformes
- Ajaia ajaja
- Ardea herodias
- Botaurus lentiginosus
- Butorides striatus
- Casmerodius albus
- Egretta thula
- Egretta caerulea
- Nycticorax nycticorax
- Phalacrocorax sp. (cormorant)
- Plegadis chihi
Piciformes
Podicipediformes
- Podilymbus podiceps
- Podiceps sp. (grebe)
Reptiles, amphibians, and fish
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Arroyo chub
- Garter snake
- Gopher snake
- Kingsnake
- Rainbow trout
- Rattlesnake
- Salamander
- Three-spined stickleback
- Tree frog
- Toad
- Western pond turtle
Arthropods
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Fly
- Dung beetle
- Grasshopper
- Megachile gentilis (leafcutter bee)
- Pill bug
- Scorpion
- Termite
- Water flea
Plants
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- California juniper
- Coast live oak
- Western poison oak
- Ragweed
- Raspberry
- Red cedar
- Redwood tree
- Sagebrush
- California sycamore
- Thistle
- Walnut tree
References
- ↑ http://www.tarpits.org/research-collections/collections
- ↑ "Fauna and Flora of Rancho La Brea" (last visited April 13, 2013).
