A
guitar musician in the plaza plays even while it drizzles.
![09west180.JPG (148990 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west180_small.JPG)
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Visitors
can try to pull on a pole stuck in the same tar, to see how difficult it
is for a trapped animal to pull its leg from the tar. The suction is
incredible.
![09west186.JPG (158988 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west186_small.JPG)
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Harlan's
Ground sloth (Glossotherium harlani) about 6 feet tall
![09west184.JPG (130067 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west184_small.JPG)
![09west185.JPG (156638 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west185_small.JPG)
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Antique
Bison skeleton
(Bison Antiquus)
![09west187.JPG (152059 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west187_small.JPG)
![09west188.JPG (155447 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west188_small.JPG)
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SKULLS of California Saber-tooth (Smilodon
californicus),
Extinct California Condor (Gymnogyps amplus),
Mountain lion (Felis concolor),
Flat-headed Peccary (Platygomus);
Coyote (canis latrans),
Badger (taxidea taxus),
Grey fox (Urocyon cineroargenteus),
Striped skunk (Memphitis memphitis,
Gopher (thomomys),
lizard & snake bones,
Spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius), and
Deer mouse (Peromyscus) |
SKULLS of Extinct Camel (Camelops hesternus)
American Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra
americana)
Shasta Ground Sloth (Nothrotheriops shastensis)
Sloth skin bones (Harlan's ground sloth)
Black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)
California quail (Lophortyx californicus)
Bones of small birds, and fresh water shells |
SKULL
of Extinct Western horse (Equus occidentalis)
![09west191.JPG (148963 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west191_small.JPG)
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SKULL
& LEG comparisons of BLACK BEAR (Ursus americanus) to an AMERICAN LION
(panthera leo atrox)
![09west192.JPG (134902 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west192_small.JPG)
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SKULLS
of DIRE WOLF (canis dirus), California SABER-TOOTH (Smilodon Californicus)
(Juvenile and young adult)
![09west193.JPG (150452 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west193_small.JPG)
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Imperial
MAMMOTH (Mammuthus imperator) - Juvenile milk tooth compared to adult
permanent molar
![09west194.JPG (152159 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west194_small.JPG)
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SKULLS
of Antique bison, and LEG BONES California Turkey (Parapavo californicus)
![09west195.JPG (147708 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west195_small.JPG)
Antique Bison and Saber toothed cat skulls
![09west249.JPG (154659 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west249_small.JPG)
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Life
wear on the California SABER-TOOTH CAT, showing broken & worn sabers,
fused neck vertebrae, healed broken rib, fused back vertebrae; DIRE WOLF -
comparison crippled leg & shoulder bone compared to normal
![09west196.JPG (128966 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west196_small.JPG)
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California
SABER-TOOTH CAT skeleton, showing size next to Glenn
![09west197.JPG (153046 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west197_small.JPG)
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Extinct
CAMEL skeleton (Camelops hesternus)
![09west198.JPG (157105 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west198_small.JPG)
![09west199.JPG (155147 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west199_small.JPG)
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American
MASTODON skeleton (Mammut americanum), mother and 6 year old baby
![09west202.JPG (166243 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west202_small.JPG)
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THE
HUMAN EQUATION
Cutting edge prehistoric blades were glued to
a wooden handle by asphalt and secured by animal tendons or sea grass
cords. Other artifacts found show how ancient peoples used asphalt
in weapons, lures, tools and utensils
![09west204.JPG (155481 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west204_small.JPG)
During the Ice Age, the growth of continental
glaciers locked up millions of cubic miles of precipitation that would
normally have gone into the oceans. The absence of this water
lowered the sea level more than 300 feet, creating a land bridge
connecting Asia & North America. Ancient peoples and mammals
crossed the bridge to populate North America.
![09west207.JPG (164734 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west207_small.JPG)
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![09west205.JPG (143753 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west205_small.JPG)
![09west206.JPG (133911 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west206_small.JPG)
Woolly MAMMOTH (Mammuthus primigenius)
two-thirds of actual size, they are smaller than Columbian mammoths, about
the size of Asian elephants.
![09west208.JPG (142649 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west208_small.JPG)
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Columbian
MAMMOTH skeleton (Mammuthus columbi), this specimen is 12 feet tall
![09west209.JPG (145331 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west209_small.JPG)
![09west210.JPG (154487 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west210_small.JPG)
![09west213.JPG (141470 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west213_small.JPG)
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Shasta
GROUND SLOTH Skeleton (Nothrotheriops shastense), a browser on shrubs or
low-hanging tree branches
![09west211.JPG (140959 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west211_small.JPG)
![09west212.JPG (142974 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west212_small.JPG)
Scapula (shoulder blade) from Giant ground
sloth
![09west246.JPG (155121 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west246_small.JPG)
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I
believe this is a Condor
![09west214.JPG (151058 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west214_small.JPG)
Merriam's Giant CONDOR (Teratornis merriami)
![09west217.JPG (131042 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west217_small.JPG)
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La
Brea CARACARA skeleton (Polyborus prelutosus), an extinct long-legged
scavenger related to falcons and caracaras.
![09west216.JPG (139107 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west216_small.JPG)
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California
TURKEY skeleton
![09west215.JPG (129163 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west215_small.JPG)
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DIRE
WOLF SKULLS (Canis dirus) an incredible 404 dire wolf skulls
represent only a portion of the more than 1600 wolves' remains found here
at La Brea
![09west218.JPG (157980 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west218_small.JPG)
![09west219.JPG (148100 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west219_small.JPG)
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DIRE
WOLF skeleton, a close relative of the timber wolf but with stronger teeth
and jaws, hunted in packs
![09west220.JPG (153898 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west220_small.JPG)
![09west263.JPG (159888 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west263_small.JPG)
![09west221.JPG (163699 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west221_small.JPG)
![09west222.JPG (149661 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west222_small.JPG)
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American
Lion (Felis atrox), a fierce predator larger than the Indian Tiger,
African lion or California Saber-toothed cat
![09west223.JPG (152578 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west223_small.JPG)
![09west224.JPG (156524 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west224_small.JPG)
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California
SABER TOOTHED CAT skeleton
![09west226.JPG (151804 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west226_small.JPG)
Diorama of Saber toothed CAT family
![09west259.JPG (150228 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west259_small.JPG)
![09west265a.JPG (116502 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west265a_small.JPG)
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Short-faced
bear (Arctodus sinus) now extinct, was a foot taller than the grizzly and
about TWICE its weight
![09west255.JPG (155798 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west255_small.JPG)
![09west256.JPG (158319 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west256_small.JPG)
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An
amazing display of GOLDEN EAGLE (Aquila chrysaetos) FOOT BONES from 1000
birds
![09west260.JPG (157193 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west260_small.JPG)
![09west261.JPG (150603 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west261_small.JPG)
![09west262.JPG (146858 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west262_small.JPG)
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One
room, and mirror to show the size of the rooms holding trays of fossils
![09west247.JPG (152054 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west247_small.JPG)
![09west248.JPG (151950 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west248_small.JPG)
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Extinct
Western HORSE skeleton
![09west257.JPG (152701 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west257_small.JPG)
![09west258.JPG (149714 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west258_small.JPG)
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Diorama
of Saber toothed CAT attacking a giant ground SLOTH, as seen by a woolly
![09west251.JPG (149754 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west251_small.JPG)
![09west252.JPG (124123 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west252_small.JPG)
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A
near-complete COLUMBIAN MAMMOTH
NAMED "ZED"
![09west234.JPG (147677 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west234_small.JPG)
being worked on in the Paleontology Lab at the
Page Museum
![09west238.JPG (154654 bytes)](Fossils%20Photos/09west238_small.JPG)
He had a rough life in the Ice Age, sporting a
couple of broken ribs and a cancerous lesion on his jaw before dying at
the age of 40 (60 is average). Both tusks were found intact (a
rare occurrence).
In 2006, an earth moving machine making a
parking garage close to the Page Museum property came upon the skeleton by
hitting the skull. The museum paleontologists
"tree-boxed" 23 crates of 2-3 million fossils from this site as
quickly as possible, so contractors could continue their work. It is
now called Project 23. For more info, link here to the Page Museum
or read other news articles by typing in "Zed mammoth":
http://www.tarpits.org/project23/
http://www.nhm.org/news/archive/2009/Project23_Press_Release.pdf
More info on Zed below that we documented from
our visit |