Unprecedentedly well preserved fossil feces found in La Brea Tar Pits

March 25, 2020

Today, a team of researchers from La Brea Tar Pits, the University of Oklahoma and the University of California Irvine report the first coprolites -- or fossil feces -- ever discovered in an asphaltic or tar pit. These hundreds of fossilized rodent pellets were found during the excavation of a parking garage for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Hancock Park in 2016, which had also yielded the more traditional La Brea fossils, such as extinct mammoths, dire wolves and saber-toothed cats.

"It's incredible that after more than a century of excavation and study, we are still unearthing new types of fossils from La Brea's treasure trove of deposits," said Emily Lindsey, assistant curator at La Brea Tar Pits. "These tiny finds may lead to big discoveries about the climate and ecosystems of Ice Age Los Angeles."

Indeed, radiocarbon dates generated at UC Irvine would confirm the pellets were ~50,000 years old.

"The intact nature and density of the fossils require a taphonomic explanation other than entrapment. The preservation is more likely the result of an asphalt seep overtaking an existing rodent nest," noted Karin Rice, preparator at La Brea Tar Pits.

"This nest provides an unparalleled view of what was beneath the feet of Rancho La Brea's famous megafauna," Mychajliw said. "And to me, it emphasizes the importance of studying small mammals, too.''

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200320101634.htm