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‘Pompeii, but in the middle of a massive city’: the ice age fossil site hidden in Los Angeles

Key Points

The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum in Los Angeles, an active urban ice age excavation site, is undergoing a major refurbishment after nearly five decades. This site houses remains of over two million ice age plants and animals, such as mastodons and saber-toothed cats, which became trapped in the tar pits.

La Brea Tar Pits – the only urban, active ice age excavation site in world – gets a mammoth face lift for the first time in nearly 50 years

Los Angeles is known for famous museum such as the Getty and the Lacma, but perhaps fewer people are aware that – in the heart of the city – lies a museum that contains one of the world’s most remarkable fossil sites.

The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is home to the remains of more than 2 million ice age flora and fauna, including mastodons and saber-toothed cats, that became trapped in oily pools that still bubble up today.

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Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →