Rancho La Brea, Pit 16 (Pleistocene of the United States)

Where: Los Angeles County, California (34.1° N, 118.4° W: paleocoordinates 34.1° N, 118.4° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Rancholabrean (0.3 - 0.0 Ma)

• "These excavations all included a Late Pleistocene biota, but assignment of exact ages is impossible in most cases because most of the Pierce beetle specimens are without stratigraphic data."

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: tar; lithified tar

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Reposited in the LACM

Primary reference: W. D. Pierce. 1946. Fossil arthropods of California 11. Descriptions of the dung beetles (Scarabaeidae) of the tar pits. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 45:119-131 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 152008: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 02.11.2013, edited by Jonathan Marcot

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Reptilia
 Galliformes - Phasianidae
"Parapavo californicus" = Meleagris californica3
"Parapavo californicus" = Meleagris californica3 Miller 1909 turkey
 Galliformes - Odontophoridae
"Lophortyx californicus" = Callipepla californica3
"Lophortyx californicus" = Callipepla californica3 Shaw 1798 California quail
Aves
 Ciconiiformes - Ciconiidae
Ciconia maltha3 Miller 1910 asphalt stork
 Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae
Botaurus lentiginosus3 Rackett 1813 American bittern
Ardea herodias3 Linnaeus 1758 great blue heron
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
"Anabernicula miniscula" = Branta minuscula3, "Branta nigricans" = Branta bernicla nigricans3, Branta canadensis3
"Anabernicula miniscula" = Branta minuscula3 Wetmore 1924 goose
"Branta nigricans" = Branta bernicla nigricans3 Lawrence 1846 brant
Branta canadensis3 Linnaeus 1758 Canada goose
 Passeriformes - Icteridae
Molothrus ater3 Boddaert 1783 brown-headed cowbird
Sturnella neglecta3 Audubon 1844 western meadowlark
 Passeriformes - Tyrannidae
Tyrannus sp.3 Linnaeus 1766 tyrant flycatcher
 Passeriformes - Laniidae
Lanius ludovicianus3 Linnaeus 1766 loggerhead shrike
 Passeriformes - Turdidae
Turdus migratorius3 Linnaeus 1758 American robin
 Passeriformes - Corvidae
Aphelocoma coerulescens3 Bosc 1795 Florida scrub jay
Corvus corax3 Linnaeus 1758 common raven
"Corvus brachyrhynchos" = Corvus brachyrhynchos3 Brehm 1822 American crow
"Corvus caurinus" = Corvus brachyrhynchos3 Brehm 1822 American crow
Pica nuttalli3 Audubon 1837 yellow-billed magpie
Cyanocitta stelleri3 Gmelin 1788 Steller's jay
 Passeriformes - Mimidae
Oreoscoptes montanus3 Townsend 1837 sage thrasher
Toxostoma redivivum3 Gambel 1845 California thrasher
 Podicipediformes - Podicipedidae
Podilymbus podiceps3 Linnaeus 1758 pied-billed grebe
Podiceps sp.3 Latham 1787 grebe
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
Aegolius acadicus3 Gmelin 1788 northern saw-whet owl
"Speotyto cunicularia" = Athene cunicularia3 Molina 1782 burrowing owl
"Otus asio" = Megascops asio3 Linnaeus 1758 eastern screech-owl
Glaucidium gnoma3 Wagler 1832 northern pygmy-owl
questionable occurrence
Oraristrix brea1 Howard 1933 Brea owl
Bubo virginianus3 Gmelin 1788 great horned owl
Asio sp.3 Brisson 1760 true owl
 Strigiformes - Tytonidae
Tyto alba3 Scopoli 1769 barn owl
 Columbiformes - Columbidae
Ectopistes migratorius3, "Zenaidura macroura" = Zenaida macroura3, "Columba fasciata" = Patagioenas fasciata3
Ectopistes migratorius3 Linnaeus 1758 passenger pigeon
"Zenaidura macroura" = Zenaida macroura3 Linnaeus 1758 mourning dove
"Columba fasciata" = Patagioenas fasciata3 Say 1822 band-tailed pigeon
 Cuculiformes - Cuculidae
Geococcyx californianus3 Lesson 1829 Greater roadrunner
 Piciformes - Picidae
Sphyrapicus sp.3, "Asyndesmus lewisi" = Melanerpes lewis3, Dryocopus pileatus3, "Colaptes cafer" = Colaptes auratus cafer3
Sphyrapicus sp.3 Baird 1858 woodpecker
"Asyndesmus lewisi" = Melanerpes lewis3 Gray 1849 Lewis's woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus3 Linnaeus 1758 pileated woodpecker
"Colaptes cafer" = Colaptes auratus cafer3 Gmelin 1788 northern flicker
 Gruiformes - Gruidae
"Grus canadensis" = Antigone canadensis2 Linnaeus 1758 Sandhill crane
Grus pagei2 Campbell 1995 crane
Grus americana2 Linnaeus 1758 Whooping crane
 Cathartiformes - Cathartidae
Coragyps occidentalis3 Miller 1909 New World vulture
Cathartes aura3 Linnaeus 1758 turkey vulture
Breagyps clarki3 Miller 1910 New World vulture
"Gymnogyps amplus" = Gymnogyps californianus3 Shaw 1797 condor
 Falconiformes - Vulturoidae
Teratornis merriami3 Miller 1909 Merriam's teratorn
 Falconiformes - Falconidae
Falco sparverius3 Linnaeus 1758 American kestrel
Falco columbarius3 Linnaeus 1758 merlin
Falco mexicanus3 Schlegel 1850 Prairie falcon
Falco peregrinus3 Tunstall 1771 Peregrine falcon
"Caracara prelutosus" = Caracara cheriway3 Jacquin 1784 crested caracara
 Charadriiformes - Scolopacidae
"Erolia alpina" = Calidris alpina3, Numenius americanus3, "Totanus melanoleucus" = Tringa melanoleuca3, Limosa ? fedoa3, "Capella gallinago" = Gallinago gallinago3, Phalaropus ? fulicarius3, Limnodromus griseus3
"Erolia alpina" = Calidris alpina3 Linnaeus 1758 dunlin
Numenius americanus3 Bechstein 1812 long-billed curlew
"Totanus melanoleucus" = Tringa melanoleuca3 Gmelin 1789 greater yellowlegs
Limosa ? fedoa3 Linnaeus 1758 marbled godwit
"Capella gallinago" = Gallinago gallinago3 Linnaeus 1758 common snipe
Phalaropus ? fulicarius3 Linnaeus 1758 red phalarope
Limnodromus griseus3 Gmelin 1789 short-billed dowitcher
 Charadriiformes - Laridae
Larus sp.3 Linnaeus 1758 gull
 Charadriiformes - Charadriidae
Charadrius vociferus3 Linnaeus 1758 killdeer
 Accipitriformes - Accipitridae
Accipiter gentilis3 Linnaeus 1758 northern goshawk
Accipiter striatus3 Vieillot 1897 sharp-shinned hawk
"Accipiter cooperi" = Accipiter cooperii3 Bonaparte 1828 Cooper's hawk
Buteo sp.3 de Lacepède 1799 hawk
Buteo swainsoni3 Bonaparte 1838 Swainson's hawk
Buteo jamaicensis3 Gmelin 1788 red-tailed hawk
Buteo regalis3 Gray 1844 ferruginous hawk
Spizaetus grinnelli3 Miller 1911 hawk-eagle
Buteogallus fragilis3 Miller 1911 black-hawks
Circus cyaneus3 Linnaeus 1766 Hen harrier
Haliaeetus leucocephalus3 Linnaeus 1766 bald eagle
Neogyps errans3 Miller 1916 Old World vulture
Neophrontops americanus3 Miller 1916 Old World vulture
Morphnus woodwardi3 Miller 1911 crested eagle
Aquila chrysaetos3 Linnaeus 1758 golden eagle
Insecta
 Coleoptera - Scarabaeidae
Copris pristinus Pierce 1946 scarab beetle
LACMIP 2851, 2879-2883, 4328