La Brea Tar Pits (general) (Pleistocene of the United States)

Where: Los Angeles County, California (34.5° N, 118.2° W: paleocoordinates 34.5° N, 118.2° W)

When: Late/Upper Pleistocene (0.1 - 0.0 Ma)

• Specimens at La Brea mostly range from 11,500 to 35,000 years old. One of the older pits, pit 77, has a mean calibrated age of 35,370, while a younger pit, pits 61/67, has a mean calibrated age of 11,581 before present. Many other pits fall in between these dates, however, most seem to occur between 20,000–29,000 years ago

Environment/lithology: tar; black tar

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: D. B. Jones and L. R. G. Desantis. 2017. Dietary ecology of ungulates from the La Brea tar pits in southern California: A multi-proxy approach. 465(15):110-127 [M. Uhen/J. So]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 190077: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Jeankyong So on 27.11.2017, edited by Mark Uhen

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Aves
 Cathartiformes - Cathartidae
Breagyps clarki Miller 1910 New World vulture
Coragyps occidentalis Miller 1909 New World vulture
Cathartes aura Linnaeus 1758 turkey vulture
Gymnogyps californianus Shaw 1797 California condor
 Ciconiiformes - Ciconiidae
Ciconia maltha Miller 1910 asphalt stork
Mycteria wetmorei Howard 1935 stork
 Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae
"Florida ? caerulea" = Egretta caerulea, Egretta ? thula, Ardea herodias, "Casmerodius albus" = Ardea alba, Butorides virescens
"Florida ? caerulea" = Egretta caerulea Linnaeus 1758 little blue heron
Egretta ? thula Molina 1782 snowy egret
Ardea herodias Linnaeus 1758 great blue heron
"Casmerodius albus" = Ardea alba Linnaeus 1758 great egret
Butorides virescens Linnaeus 1758 green heron
 Pelecaniformes - Threskiornithidae
"Ajaia ajaja" = Platalea ajaja
"Ajaia ajaja" = Platalea ajaja Linnaeus 1758 roseate spoonbill
 Podicipediformes - Podicipedidae
Podilymbus podiceps Linnaeus 1758 pied-billed grebe
 Strigiformes - Tytonidae
Tyto alba Scopoli 1769 barn owl
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
Glaucidium gnoma, "Asio wilsonianus" = Asio otus wilsonianus, Asio flammeus, Bubo virginianus, "Strix brea" = Oraristrix brea, "Speotyto cunicularia" = Athene cunicularia, "Otus asio" = Megascops asio, "Cryptoglaux acadica" = Aegolius acadicus
Glaucidium gnoma Wagler 1832 northern pygmy-owl
"Asio wilsonianus" = Asio otus wilsonianus Lesson 1830 long-eared owl
Asio flammeus Pontoppidan 1763 short-eared owl
Bubo virginianus Gmelin 1788 great horned owl
"Strix brea" = Oraristrix brea Howard 1933 Brea owl
"Speotyto cunicularia" = Athene cunicularia Molina 1782 burrowing owl
"Otus asio" = Megascops asio Linnaeus 1758 eastern screech-owl
"Cryptoglaux acadica" = Aegolius acadicus Gmelin 1788 northern saw-whet owl
 Piciformes - Picidae
"Colaptes cafer" = Colaptes auratus cafer, Ceophloeus plicatus, "Asyndesmus lewis" = Melanerpes lewis
"Colaptes cafer" = Colaptes auratus cafer Gmelin 1788 northern flicker
"Asyndesmus lewis" = Melanerpes lewis Gray 1849 Lewis's woodpecker
 Cuculiformes - Cuculidae
Geococcyx californianus Lesson 1829 Greater roadrunner
 Columbiformes - Columbidae
"Columba fasciata" = Patagioenas fasciata, "Zenaidura macroura" = Zenaida macroura, Ectopistes migratorius
"Columba fasciata" = Patagioenas fasciata Say 1822 band-tailed pigeon
"Zenaidura macroura" = Zenaida macroura Linnaeus 1758 mourning dove
Ectopistes migratorius Linnaeus 1758 passenger pigeon
 Gruiformes - Aramidae
"Plegadis guarauna" = Aramus guarauna
"Plegadis guarauna" = Aramus guarauna Linnaeus 1762 limpkin
 Gruiformes - Gruidae
"Grus americanus" = Grus americana, "Grus canadensis" = Antigone canadensis
"Grus americanus" = Grus americana Linnaeus 1758 Whooping crane
"Grus canadensis" = Antigone canadensis Linnaeus 1758 Sandhill crane
 Gruiformes - Rallidae
Fulica americana Gmelin 1789 American coot
 Passeriformes - Icteridae
Sturnella neglecta Audubon 1844 western meadowlark
? Xanthocephalus sp. Bonaparte 1850 perching bird
Icterus sp. Brisson 1760 New World oriole
Agelaius sp. Vieillot 1816 perching bird
Euphagus magnirostris Miller 1929 large-billed blackbird
 Passeriformes - Mimidae
Oreoscoptes montanus Townsend 1837 sage thrasher
Toxostoma redividum American thrashers
 Passeriformes - Laniidae
Lanius ludovicianus Linnaeus 1766 loggerhead shrike
 Passeriformes - Tyrannidae
Tyrannus sp. Linnaeus 1766 tyrant flycatcher
 Passeriformes - Passerellidae
Spizella passerina Bechstein 1798 chipping sparrow
Amphispiza bilineata Cassin 1850 black-throated sparrow
 Passeriformes - Fringillidae
Fringillidae indet. Vigors 1825 finch
Spinus pinus Wilson 1810 pine siskin
Spinus tristis Linnaeus 1758 American goldfinch
 Passeriformes - Corvidae
Cyanocitta stelleri Gmelin 1788 Steller's jay
Aphelocoma californica Vigors 1839 California scrub-jay
Pica nuttalli Audubon 1837 yellow-billed magpie
Corvus caurinus Baird 1858 crow
Corvus cryptoleucus Couch 1854 crow
Corvus corax Linnaeus 1758 common raven
Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm 1822 American crow
 Passeriformes - Alaudidae
"Otocoris alpestris" = Eremophila alpestris
"Otocoris alpestris" = Eremophila alpestris Linnaeus 1759 horned lark
 Passeriformes - Turdidae
Sialia sp. Swainson 1827 bluebird
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
Cygnus columbianus, "Anabernicula miniscula" = Branta minuscula, Branta canadensis, "Chen hyperborea" = Anser caerulescens, Anser albifrons, "Chen ? rossi" = Anser rossii, "Nyroca ? valisineria" = Aythya valisineria, Anas platyrhynchos, "Nettion carolinense" = Anas crecca carolinensis, Querquedula sp., Spatula clypeata, "Chaulelasmus streperus" = Mareca strepera
Cygnus columbianus Ord 1815 tundra swan
"Anabernicula miniscula" = Branta minuscula Wetmore 1924 goose
Branta canadensis Linnaeus 1758 Canada goose
"Chen hyperborea" = Anser caerulescens Linnaeus 1758 snow goose
Anser albifrons Scopoli 1769 greater white-fronted goose
"Chen ? rossi" = Anser rossii Cassin 1861 Ross's goose
"Nyroca ? valisineria" = Aythya valisineria Wilson 1814 canvasback
Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus 1758 mallard
"Nettion carolinense" = Anas crecca carolinensis Gmelin 1789 green-winged teal
Querquedula sp. Stephens 1826 duck
Spatula clypeata Linnaeus 1758 northern shoveler
"Chaulelasmus streperus" = Mareca strepera Linnaeus 1758 gadwall
 Accipitriformes - Accipitridae
Spizaetus grinnelli Miller 1911 hawk-eagle
Astur atricapillus Wilson 1812 hawk
Accipiter striatus Vieillot 1897 sharp-shinned hawk
subspecies velox
Accipiter cooperii Bonaparte 1828 Cooper's hawk
Elanus leucurus Vieillot 1818 white-tailed kite
Aquila chrysaetos Linnaeus 1758 golden eagle
Neophrontops americanus Miller 1916 Old World vulture
Neogyps errans Miller 1916 Old World vulture
Circus hudsonius Linnaeus 1766 Northern harrier
"Wetmoregyps daggetti" = Buteogallus (Wetmoregyps) daggetti Miller 1915 black-hawks
"Hypomorphnus fragilis" = Buteogallus fragilis Miller 1911 black-hawks
Morphnus woodwardi Miller 1911 crested eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus Linnaeus 1766 bald eagle
Buteo sp. de Lacepède 1799 hawk
Buteo lagopus Pontoppidan 1763 rough-legged hawk
Buteo jamaicensis Gmelin 1788 red-tailed hawk
Buteo swainsoni Bonaparte 1838 Swainson's hawk
Buteo regalis Gray 1844 ferruginous hawk
 Falconiformes - Falconidae
"Polyborus prelutosus" = Caracara cheriway Jacquin 1784 crested caracara
subspecies prelutosus
Falco sp. Linnaeus 1758 falcon
Falco sparverius Linnaeus 1758 American kestrel
Falco peregrinus Tunstall 1771 Peregrine falcon
Falco columbarius Linnaeus 1758 merlin
Falco mexicanus Schlegel 1850 Prairie falcon
 Falconiformes - Vulturoidae
Cathartornis gracilis Miller 1910 teratorn
Teratornis merriami Miller 1909 Merriam's teratorn
 Charadriiformes -
Charadriiformes indet. Huxley 1867 shorebird
 Charadriiformes - Charadriidae
"Squatarola squatarola" = Pluvialis squatarola, "Eupoda montana" = Charadrius montanus, "Oxyechus vociferus" = Charadrius vociferus
"Squatarola squatarola" = Pluvialis squatarola Linnaeus 1758 black-bellied plover
"Eupoda montana" = Charadrius montanus Townsend 1837 mountain plover
"Oxyechus vociferus" = Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus 1758 killdeer
 Charadriiformes - Scolopacidae
Numenius americanus Bechstein 1812 long-billed curlew
"Capella delicata" = Gallinago delicata Ord 1825 Wilson's snipe
"Totanus melanoleucus" = Tringa melanoleuca Gmelin 1789 greater yellowlegs
Limosa ? fedoa Linnaeus 1758 marbled godwit
Limnodromus griseus Gmelin 1789 short-billed dowitcher
 Charadriiformes - Laridae
Rissa ? tridactyla Linnaeus 1758 black-legged kittiwake
 Galliformes - Meleagridae
Parapavo californicus Miller 1909 turkey
 Galliformes - Odontophoridae
"Lophortyx californica" = Callipepla californica
"Lophortyx californica" = Callipepla californica Shaw 1798 California quail
 Colymbiformes - Colymbidae
Colymbus sp. Linnaeus 1758 bird
Mammalia
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
"Equus occidentalis" = Equus mexicanus
"Equus occidentalis" = Equus mexicanus Hibbard 1955 horse
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
Camelops hesternus Leidy 1873 camel
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Bison antiquus Leidy 1852 bison