Carpinteria tar pits (general) (Pleistocene of the United States)

Where: Santa Barbara County, California (34.4° N, 119.5° W: paleocoordinates 34.4° N, 119.5° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

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

• Probably 20,000-40,000 years before present

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: tar; poorly lithified tar

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Reposited in the LACM

• Collected in the 1920s

Primary reference: L. Miller and I. DeMay. 1942. The fossil Birds of California. University of California Publications in Zoology 47(4):47-142 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 218989: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Mark Uhen on 08.03.2021

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
unclassified
  -
Dryobates sp., Penthestes sp.
Aves
 Accipitriformes - Accipitridae
Spizaetus grinnellii, Buteo sp., Buteo lineatus, Buteo jamaicensis, "Hypomorphnus fragilis" = Buteogallus fragilis, "Wetmoregyps daggetti" = Buteogallus (Wetmoregyps) daggetti, "Accipiter cooperi" = Accipiter cooperii, Accipiter striatus velox, Astur atricapillus, ? Circus hudsonius, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Aquila chrysaetos
Buteo sp. de Lacepède 1799 hawk
Buteo lineatus Gmelin 1788 red-shouldered hawk
Buteo jamaicensis Gmelin 1788 red-tailed hawk
"Hypomorphnus fragilis" = Buteogallus fragilis Miller 1911 black-hawks
"Wetmoregyps daggetti" = Buteogallus (Wetmoregyps) daggetti Miller 1915 black-hawks
"Accipiter cooperi" = Accipiter cooperii Bonaparte 1828 Cooper's hawk
Accipiter striatus velox Wilson 1812 sharp-shinned hawk
Astur atricapillus Wilson 1812 hawk
? Circus hudsonius Linnaeus 1766 Northern harrier
Haliaeetus leucocephalus Linnaeus 1766 bald eagle
Aquila chrysaetos Linnaeus 1758 golden eagle
 Falconiformes - Falconidae
Falco sparverius, Polyborus prelutosus prelutosus
Falco sparverius Linnaeus 1758 American kestrel
Polyborus prelutosus prelutosus Howard 1938 crested caracara
 Strigiformes - Tytonidae
Tyto alba
Tyto alba Scopoli 1769 barn owl
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
Bubo virginianus, "Otus asio" = Megascops asio, "Asio wilsonianus" = Asio otus wilsonianus, Glaucidium gnoma
Bubo virginianus Gmelin 1788 great horned owl
"Otus asio" = Megascops asio Linnaeus 1758 eastern screech-owl
"Asio wilsonianus" = Asio otus wilsonianus Lesson 1830 long-eared owl
Glaucidium gnoma Wagler 1832 northern pygmy-owl
 Piciformes - Picidae
"Colaptes cafer" = Colaptes auratus cafer
"Colaptes cafer" = Colaptes auratus cafer Gmelin 1788 northern flicker
 Columbiformes - Columbidae
"Columba fasciata" = Patagioenas fasciata
"Columba fasciata" = Patagioenas fasciata Say 1822 band-tailed pigeon
 Cuculiformes - Cuculidae
Geococcyx californianus
Geococcyx californianus Lesson 1829 Greater roadrunner
 Passeriformes - Chamaeidae
Chamaea fasciata
Chamaea fasciata Gambel 1845 perching bird
 Passeriformes - Tyrannidae
Empidonax sp., Sayornis sp.
Empidonax sp. Cabanis 1855 flycatcher
Sayornis sp. Bonaparte 1854 phoebe
 Passeriformes - Bombycillidae
Bombycilla cedrorum
Bombycilla cedrorum Vieillot 1808 cedar waxwing
 Passeriformes - Turdidae
Sialia mexicana, Turdus migratorius, ? Hylocichla sp.
Sialia mexicana Swainson 1831 bluebird
Turdus migratorius Linnaeus 1758 American robin
? Hylocichla sp. Baird 1864 thrush
 Passeriformes - Icteridae
Sturnella neglecta
Sturnella neglecta Audubon 1844 western meadowlark
 Passeriformes - Sittidae
Sitta canadensis, Sitta pygmaea
Sitta canadensis Linnaeus 1766 red-breasted nuthatch
Sitta pygmaea Vigors 1839 nuthatch
 Passeriformes - Passerellidae
Pipilo maculatus, Passerella iliaca, "Pipilo fuscus" = Melozone fusca
Pipilo maculatus Swainson 1827 spotted towhee
Passerella iliaca Merrem 1786 fox sparrow
"Pipilo fuscus" = Melozone fusca Swainson 1827 canyon towhee
 Passeriformes - Corvidae
Cyanocitta stelleri, Corvus corax, "Corvus caurinus" = Corvus brachyrhynchos, Pica nuttali, Aphelocoma californica
Cyanocitta stelleri Gmelin 1788 Steller's jay
Corvus corax Linnaeus 1758 common raven
"Corvus caurinus" = Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm 1822 American crow
Pica nuttali perching bird
Aphelocoma californica Vigors 1839 California scrub-jay
 Passeriformes - Fringillidae
Fringillidae indet., Spinus pinus, Loxia curvirostra
Fringillidae indet. Vigors 1825 finch
Spinus pinus Wilson 1810 pine siskin
Loxia curvirostra Linnaeus 1758 red crossbill
 Anseriformes - Anatidae
"? Chen sp." = Anser, Anas platyrhynchos
"? Chen sp." = Anser Linnaeus 1758 goose
Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus 1758 mallard
 Cathartiformes - Cathartidae
Gymnogyps californianus, Coragyps occidentalis, Cathartes aura
Gymnogyps californianus Shaw 1797 California condor
Coragyps occidentalis Miller 1909 New World vulture
Cathartes aura Linnaeus 1758 turkey vulture
Reptilia
 Galliformes - Phasianidae
"Parapavo californicus" = Meleagris californica
"Parapavo californicus" = Meleagris californica Miller 1909 turkey
 Galliformes - Odontophoridae
"Lophortyx californica" = Callipepla californica
"Lophortyx californica" = Callipepla californica Shaw 1798 California quail