New Ice Age Toad Species Found in La Brea Tar Pits Fossils
A New Species from Ancient Fossils
Researchers studying fossils from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles have identified a previously unknown species of extinct amphibian. The newly named species, a type of spadefoot toad called Spea labreae, has a hard, spade-shaped part on its hind feet — a feature the group uses for digging into soil — and was described for the first time from specimens recovered at the site.
Only the Second Ice Age Amphibian Found in North America
According to the research team, only one other extinct Pleistocene amphibian has ever been identified in North America — a tree frog previously found in Florida. The new spadefoot toad marks the second such discovery on the continent.
A New Page in Ice Age Los Angeles History
The La Brea Tar Pits are known for naturally occurring asphalt that seeps to the surface, trapping animals that wandered across it during the Ice Age and preserving their remains for tens of thousands of years. Many fossils recovered from the pits over the years remain in museum collections without close study, and the new toad was identified while researchers were re-examining that backlog. The discovery adds a new detail to the picture of the animals that once lived in Ice Age Los Angeles.
A New Ice Age Toad Found in Sticky Tar
📰 Full story: New Ice Age Toad Species Found in La Brea Tar Pits Fossils
Scientists found bones of a brand-new kind of toad in a tar pit in Los Angeles.
💡 The gist
- Scientists found toad bones in a tar pit in Los Angeles.
- The toad turned out to be a species nobody had named before.
- It's only the second Ice Age amphibian ever found in North America.
The La Brea Tar Pits sit right in the middle of Los Angeles, and they are famous for something strange: sticky black tar that oozes up out of the ground. A long, long time ago, during the Ice Age, animals sometimes wandered across the tar without realizing how dangerous it was. Their feet would sink in, and many of them could not get free again.
That sticky trap turned out to be a stroke of luck for scientists today. Because the tar sealed the bones away from air and water, it kept them from rotting for tens of thousands of years. Museums have been digging up and storing these bones for a long time, and some of them had never been fully studied.
When researchers looked closely at fossils from the site, they found something they had never seen before: a small toad that did not match any known species. It belongs to a group called spadefoot toads, named for a hard, spade-shaped part on their back feet that helps them dig into soil. The researchers gave the new species a name, Spea labreae, based on where it was found.
This discovery matters more than it might seem. Extinct Ice Age amphibians are almost never found in North America, because their small, delicate bones usually break down long before anyone can dig them up. Before this toad, scientists had identified only one other extinct Pleistocene amphibian on the whole continent — a tree frog found in Florida. That makes this newly named toad just the second one ever confirmed.
Because the tar pits still contain many fossils that have not been closely examined yet, researchers think more surprises could still be waiting underground, hidden inside chunks of tar that have not yet given up their secrets.
A Toad From Long Ago, Found in Sticky Tar
📰 Full story: New Ice Age Toad Species Found in La Brea Tar Pits Fossils
A little toad got stuck in gooey tar long, long ago.
Once, a toad was hopping around. It stepped into sticky black tar. Its feet got stuck fast. The toad could not get out. A long, long time passed. Scientists dug up its old bones. They had never seen a toad like this before. They gave the toad a new name. Only one other toad like this was ever found. That makes this toad extra special.