Popular State Guides
|
Free Traveling Guides » States » California » Los Angeles
La Brea Tar Pits
The La Brea Tar Pits were formed 42,000 years ago from oil rising to the earth's surface and gelling into tar. Animals who came to drink the water ended up getting caught in the tar and dying, their fossilized skeletons remaining intact. Once people moved to the area, the tar was used by Gabrielino Indians and later by Spanish and Mexican settlers. In 1906, geologists discovered fossils in the tar pits, which turned out to be the largest collection of fossils from the Pleistocene Epoch ever found in one place. In 1916, the land was deeded to Los Angeles county.
Today the tar pits are part of Hancock Park in downtown Los Angeles. The nearby George C. Page Museum features fossils from this area.
|
Top 5 National Parks
- Great Smoky Mountains
- Grand Canyon
- Yosemite
- Olympic
- Yellowstone
All 58 national parks. |
