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Extinct toad from ice age discovered at La Brea Tar Pits
CNN • • science
Key Points:
- Scientists have discovered a new extinct ice age amphibian species, a spadefoot toad named Spea labreae, in the La Brea Tar Pits of Los Angeles, marking only the second extinct Pleistocene amphibian found in North America.
- The toad fossils, small and previously overlooked fragments from a 1929 excavation, were identified in 2023 by Dr. J. Alberto Cruz, highlighting the importance of studying smaller fossils in paleontological collections.
- The La Brea Tar Pits also yielded fossils of the Mexican burrowing toad, a species currently found far south in Mexico and Central America, suggesting that prehistoric Los Angeles had a wetter, rainforest-like climate.
- Amphibian fossils like these provide valuable insights into past climates and ecosystems, aiding conservation paleobiology efforts to understand environmental changes and protect modern amphibian species.
- Experts emphasize that small fossils are often neglected but crucial for reconstructing local prehistoric environments, although caution is needed as predator behavior can sometimes displace remains from their original habitats.
