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In southern California, the tar pits of Rancho La Brea ("tar ranch" in Spanish) have bubbled and oozed for over 40,000 years. They've captured and preserved the remains of countless thousands of local animals - camels, bison, horses and mammoths - and the wolves, vultures, and sabertooth cats that came to feed on trapped animals.
At the tar pits, crude oil, the same oil that's pumped up from nearby wells, still seeps from deep in the earth - up close, you can smell it! Lighter parts of the oil evaporate, leaving behind gooey tar. This tar is a death trap for plants, insects and other animals, but it's a great preservative of their remains.
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