During the most recent Ice Age, animals wandered into asphalt pools and were trapped in the soft, sticky goo. Unable to escape, they died, and their remains were preserved by the asphalt. Thousands of animals, including mammoths and sabertoothed cats, perished in the La Brea Tar Pits over a period of 30,000 years.
Asphalt Pool, La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles, Calif.
From Nancy Parode, About.com
Los Angeles sits on top of oil deposits. In the Rancho La Brea area, especially in today's "Miracle Mile" district, asphalt seeps up from these deposits.
Photo © Nancy Parode
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