A list of prehistoric and extant species whose fossils have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits, located in present-day Hancock Park, a city park on the Miracle Mile section of the Mid-Wilshire district in Los Angeles, California."Fauna and Flora of Rancho La Brea" (last visited April 13, 2013).
Some of the tar pit's fossils are displayed in the adjacent George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries in the park. They are primarily from Pleistocene predator species. Daggers (†) in the list denote extinct species.
Mammals Artiodactyla Common name Species Material Notes Image† Western camel† Camelops hesternusat least 36 individuals.A large species of camel characterized by a generalized browsing diet. Alongside the ancient bison and western horse, it was among the most abundant large herbivores recovered from the tar pits. † Ancient bison† Bos antiquusAt least 300 individuals.A large migratory species of bison, possibly ancestral to the modern American bison through the intermediate species Bison occidentalis. It is the most abundant large herbivore found at La Brea.† Dwarf pronghorn† Capromeryx minorHundreds of specimens.A diminutive pronghorn less than half the size of the modern species. Due to the decreased weight and size, Capromeryx was generally more slender than other pronghorns. It further differs through its conical, non-branching horns. Although most of the skeleton was known by 1914, it wouldn't be until over a hundred years later that the postcranial bones would be described in detail.† Flat-headed Peccary† Platygonus compressusA fragmentary skull and limb bonesA widespread species of peccary known to have inhabited grassland and arid regions. Compared to other species of its genus, Platygonus compressus was better adapted at feeding on grasses.† Giant bison† Bos latifronsOne of the largest known ruminants, the long-horned bison is thought to be the direct ancestor to the ancient bison. Bison latifrons differs from the other La Brea species in size and the dimensions of the horns. Cf. Mule deerOdocoileus cf. hemionusDeer remains that were tentatively assigned to the modern mule deer by several authors. However, in Balassa et al. 2022 these remains are assigned to the white-tailed deer instead.PronghornAntilocapra americanaAn extant relative of the dwarf pronghorn Capromeryx, this species is notably larger and features characteristic two-pronged horns. The La Brea material is indistinguishable from the modern form.Cf. WapitiCervus cf. canadensisAlthough present at the tar pits, material assigned to the modern elk has not been dated. This leaves it ambiguous whether or not it coexisted with some of the well known La Brea animals such as the short-faced bear and American lion.† Shrub-ox† Euceratherium cf. collinumAn extinct relative of the modern muskox. Findings from Colorado suggest that it was a browser that fed on trees and shrubs.† Large-headed llama† Hemiauchenia macrocephalaIsolated Limb BonesA species of llama with an opportunistic generalized diet.
Carnivora Common name Species Material Notes ImageAmerican badgerTaxidea taxusBadger fossils account for approximately 0.39% of the total carnivoran fauna at Rancho La Brea. One possibility is that some badgers were trapped when tar seeped into their burrows.American black bearUrsus americanusAmong the black bear remains recovered from La Brea is the skull of a juvenile individual. Black bears inhabiting the region during this period were larger than their modern descendants, although the species is comparatively underrepresented in the La Brea fossil record. This scarcity may be related to its omnivorous diet, potentially indicating that predator abundance at the site was influenced in part by scavenging behavior.† American cheetahMiracinonyx trumaniIsolated remainsA 2022 study proposed that several isolated remains, including a humerus, radius, femur and the holotype mandible of Felis daggetti, which had previously been attributed to the modern cougar, are instead referable to Miracinonyx trumani.† American lion† Panthera atroxAt least 80 individualsA large pantherine, the American lion is thought to have descended from Eurasian cave lions that became isolated in North America. It is considerably less common than the contemporary Smilodon. Within the species, fossil remains are believed to represent males more frequently than females.BobcatLynx rufusBobcats are rare compared to other cats at La Brea. Van Valkenburgh suggests that they may have lived at the fringe of the predator community.CougarPuma concolorIsotopic analysis suggests that cougars, as well as other large cats at La Brea, preferred to hunt prey living in more closed environments. Cougars were found to be more generalized in diet than contemporary cats such as Smilodon or the American lion, which could be the reason why they survived into modern days.† Dire wolf† Aenocyon dirusOver 4,000 individualsA large wolf-like carnivore, the dire wolf was the most common predator found in the tar pits of La Brea, outnumbering the slightly smaller grey wolf over 100-fold. They could reach a weight of approximately . Despite the name this animal is not a wolf but instead part of its own genus distinct from Canis that evolved independently from modern wolves. Domestic dog Canis familiarisSeveral individualsThe dogs from La Brea include a small dog similar to the Techichi breed. Despite being found close to the human remains known as the La Brea Woman, the dog remains proved to be approximately 7.000 years younger. This means that there is no connection between the dog and human remains of La Brea. Another larger individual was initially thought to be a distinct species.Furlong's wolfCanis lupus furlongiModern wolves are notably rarer at La Brea than the slightly larger dire wolves. One particular fossil preserves the femur of a wolf that survived a traumatic injury. The nature of the fossil suggests that the wolf's leg was either broken and developed a pseudarthrosis or that the leg was entirely amputated and healed. Such an injury could have been inflicted by the numerous larger predators such as bears, big cats or dire wolves.† Giant jaguar† Panthera onca augustaAt least five individuals represented by 20 specimens, which include a palette, vertebrae, ribs and limb bonesA giant subspecies of the modern jaguar. The material ranges in age from 11,600 years to 28,000 years old.† Giant short-faced bear† Arctodus simusAt least 30 individualsArctodus was one of the largest known carnivorans in history and belonged to the Tremarctinae, a subfamily of bears endemic to the Americas. Studies suggest that much like many modern bears, Arctodus was an omnivore with no direct adaptations for either hypercarnivory or scavenging as previously believed. This bear reached an average weight of . Gray foxUrocyon cinereoargenteusRemains of gray foxes make up 0.48% of the La Brea predator fauna. A baculum from the pits suggests that these foxes were smaller in the past.Grizzly bearUrsus arctos horribilisA complete grizzly bear skull was found in Pit 10, which also yielded human remains. Carbon dating confirms that the Californian grizzly only appeared in La Brea after the extinction of the larger short-faced bear.Long-tailed weaselNeogale frenata53 skullsIsotopic analysis indicates that at La Brea the long-tailed weasel fed on ground squirrels and cottontail rabbits. It is the most common mustelid at La Brea.† Pleistocene coyote† Canis latrans orcuttiFossils from La Brea show that Pleistocene coyotes were larger and more robust than their modern relatives and actively hunted larger prey. However, Holocene coyote fossils from Pit 10 already show a decrease in size and change in the anatomy of the mandible, indicating that by this point in time coyotes had begun adapting towards conditions more similar to today. This includes changing their diet from large prey to smaller animals such as rabbits. They are the third most common predator found in the tar pits, only behind the dire wolf and Smilodon.RaccoonProcyon lotorA single specimenRaccoons and the related ringtail may be rare due to their nocturnal habits, which would mean they are active when the tar is cool and more solid.RingtailBassariscus astutusA single specimen† Saber-toothed cat† Smilodon fatalisOver 2,000 individuals represented by more than 130,000 specimens.Smilodon is among the most well-known mammals from Rancho La Brea and the second most common carnivore found in the pits, only behind the dire wolf. Unlike the American lion, which is a true cat, Smilodon was a member of the Machairodontinae. Based on the microwear texture of the teeth it has been suggested that Smilodon fed on both harder material and soft flesh, preferring the latter following injuries to the jaws and teeth.† Scimitar-toothed cat† Homotherium serumCanine teeth and metapodialsRelative to the related Smilodon, Homotherium was much rarer at La Brea. Ecologically it was a more cursorial hunter preferring open environments and predominantly feeding on grazers. Among the prey known to have been taken by Homotherium are juvenile mammoths.Striped skunkMephitis mephitisApproximately 0.96% of the La Brea carnivore fauna is made up of striped skunks. Western spotted skunkSpilogale gracilisFossils of the spotted skunk are rarer than those of striped skunks. They only account for 0.18% of La Brea's carnivoran fauna.
Chiroptera Common name Species Material Notes ImageHoary batLasiurus cinereusRemains of the hoary bat were discovered in Pit 91.Pallid batAntrozous pallidusPallid bats might have become entrapped in tar due to their habit of feeding on insects near the ground.
Lagomorpha Common name Species Material Notes ImageBlack-tailed jackrabbitLepus californicusThis species appears to only occur in deposits from the Last Glacial Maximum onward and is absent in those predating it. This could be indicative of environmental changes occurring at La Brea in this time period.Brush rabbitSylvilagus bachmaniThe brush rabbit is more commonly found in the older La Brea deposits. This might be because the species requires denser vegetation and was faced with increased aridification and more open environments that favored jackrabbits and desert cottontails. Desert cottontailSylvilagus auduboniiExcluding juvenile remains, desert cottontail fossils from La Brea suggest that the species was smaller than modern individuals
Perissodactyla Common name Species Material Notes Image† California tapir† Tapirus californicusOne jaw with teeth and two phalangesA small species of tapir known from few remains at La Brea. The taxonomic status of many North American tapirs is debated and many of the species may be synonyms of each other.† Mexican horse† Equus conversidens A small bodied horse species of dubious nature, only few remains are known from La Brea. Some researchers have argued that the Mexican horse is a synonym of Haringtonhippus or that the name is a nomen dubium.† Western horse† Equus occidentalisOver 200 individualsOne of the most common herbivores found in the tar pits, its teeth are more complex than that of modern horses. Due to this the western horse has been interpreted to have filled a different dietary niche than horses today, possibly being a mixed feeder consuming a not insignificant amount of wooden browse from shrubs and other plants.
Primates Common name Species Material Notes ImageHumanHomo sapiensA skull and partial skeleton commonly known as the La Brea Woman.The remains of a woman between 18 and 24 years old who died of a fractured skull. This skeleton represents the only known human remains from the tar pits. She was found alongside a grinding stone and may have been buried in the tar.
Proboscidea