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