TAR BEETLE - Up to 20,000 years old - California
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La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles,
La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles,
California, USA
Up to 20,000 years old
In the vicinity of Los Angeles there are several tar pits that have produced spectacular fossils, the most famous of which is the La Brea Tar Pits in urban Los Angeles. Natural tar or asphalt seeps up through fissures in the ground from underground oil fields to form pools of thick tar (brea in Spanish) over a wide area - a process that has been going on for tens of thousands of years.
This delightful fossil beetle is from an old collection. It is preserved on a block of compressed vegetation and contained in a vintage museum display box with a glass lid. It is somewhat fragile and care should be taken if removing it from the box.
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Size: 7 x 5 x 3.5 centimetres (size of box)
Weight: 62 grams (including box)