La Brea Tar Pits

Yes, there is still asphalt, commonly called tar, at the La Brea Tar Pits. Some of these asphalt seeps are still active, with the substance bubbling to the surface in certain areas of the park. These active seeps help paleontologists study the process of entrapment, learn more about the site's history, and discover how the natural asphalt deposits continue to preserve fossils. You can see asphalt still bubbling to the surface in certain areas, preserving fossils from the Pleistocene epoch, including the remains of animals like giant ground sloths and saber-toothed cats. The site is a time capsule of fossils, and scientists still excavate and study the asphalt deposits, with current projects focusing on active dig sites like Project 23. The sticky substance is actually a natural asphalt, a form of crude oil, rather than tar.

Yes, human remains have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits, specifically a partial skeleton of a woman known as 'La Brea Woman'. Discovered in 1914, these are the only human remains found at the site, dating back approximately 10,200 years. The circumstances of how she ended up in the pits, her exact age at death, and the cause of her death remain subjects of scientific inquiry and mystery. The remains are a partial skeleton of a young woman and radiocarbon dating of the bones revealed she lived around 10,200 years ago. Her remains are unique, representing the only human evidence ever found at the La Brea Tar Pits.

The La Brea Tar Pits offer an incredibly complete record of the different plants and animals that have lived in the L.A. Basin between 50,000 years ago and today. Inside the museum, located at the center of the site, teams work on these discoveries in the see-through Fossil Lab.

This seepage has been happening for tens of thousands of years, during which the asphalt sometimes formed a deposit thick enough to trap animals. The deposit then became covered with water, dust, and leaves. Animals wandered in, became trapped, and died, leading to the rich fossil deposits found today.

The La Brea Tar Pits are famous for preserving the remains of Ice Age animals. Visitors can learn about fossils of saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, mammoths, ground sloths, and ancient horses that became trapped in the natural asphalt seeps.