Tag

Spea Labreae

All articles tagged with #spea labreae

science19 days ago•6 min saved

Ice-Age Spadefoot Toad Discovered at La Brea Tar Pits

Researchers at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum have identified Spea labreae, a newly named extinct ice-age spadefoot toad, one of only two ice-age amphibians found in the U.S. The holotype is an incomplete sacro-urostyle bone, and the discovery came from re-examining decades-old amphibian collections and comparing them with specimens at other museums. Published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the find sheds light on late Pleistocene climate and local environmental changes around Los Angeles.

via Los Angeles Times|

#amphibians #ice-age #la-brea-tar-pits

science20 days ago•203 min saved

La Brea Tar Pits Uncover Spea labreae, a New Ice-Age Amphibian

Scientists at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles have identified Spea labreae, the first extinct ice-age amphibian found there, from two 1929 fossils of the spadefoot toad. The tiny 1 cm sacro-urostyle fragments indicate a previously unknown species that lived sometime in the last 60,000 years, highlighting how the tar’s preservation can reveal small fossils long overlooked. The discovery doubles North America’s known extinct ice-age amphibians and, alongside a living relative, the Mexican burrowing toad, hints at a past LA habitat more rainforest-like and informs conservation paleobiology.

via CNN|

#amphibian-fossils #ice-age #la-brea-tar-pits

science20 days ago•4 min saved

New Ice Age Spea labreae Toad Found at La Brea—A Clue to Ancient LA Climate

Scientists have named Spea labreae, a new extinct spadefoot toad from La Brea fossil bones dating to the Ice Age, making it one of North America’s few extinct amphibians from that era. Described in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the find—based on bones excavated in 1929—helps illuminate Los Angeles’s Ice Age climate, since amphibians are highly sensitive to water availability and temperature. The discovery, which also includes the first record of the Mexican burrowing toad in LA, may reflect climate shifts or human arrival, and the specimen will be incorporated into the La Brea Tar Pits’ evolving museum exhibits after renovations.

via LAist|

#amphibian #climate-change #ice-age

science21 days ago•198 min saved

La Brea Tar Pits Uncover Extinct Ice-Age Toad Spea labreae

Scientists at Los Angeles’ La Brea Tar Pits report the first extinct ice-age amphibian found in the area: the spadefoot toad Spea labreae. Two tiny sacro-urostyle fragments from 1929 were re-examined in 2023, revealing distinct features that identify a previously unknown species. The fossils likely date to within the last 60,000 years, making Spea labreae only the second extinct ice-age amphibian known from North America; the collection also included the living Mexican burrowing toad, offering climate context for past and present amphibians.

via CNN|

#amphibian #ice-age #la-brea-tar-pits