La Brea Tar Pits
What are Tar Pits and how do they form?
How were Animals trapped in the Tar Pits?
Name all Carnivores found in the Tar Pits.
Name all Herbivores found in the Tar Pits.
In the following table describe 3 anatomical adaptations unique to Herbivores and 3 to Carnivores
Herbivores
Carnivores
1
2
3
Now let’s look at structure function relationships by comparing anatomical features of several
herbivores and carnivores. Complete the following table.
TEETH
FOOT
VERTEBRA TAIL
Sloth
Mastadon
American
Lion
Sabertooth
Cat
Eagle
How are the teeth of an herbivore different from the teeth of carnivores?
How does the sloth avoid predation?
How is the sloth adapted for tree dwelling? Diagram the fore and hind limbs.
How does the mastodon avoid predation?
Based on the anatomical differences which herbivores ran from predators and which fought
predators? Explain your answer.
How does the Bobcat differ from Lion?
Why is a Sabertooth Cat more closely grouped with cat and not tiger?
Compare the Mammoth to the Mastadon. Draw a vertebrae of a mammoth and a mastodon. In
what two ways do the organisms differ?
Draw the foot of a Mastadon, Horse and Camel? How do they differ? What is each organism
walking on?
What bone disease and injuries were discovered in specimen?
What is the largest member of the feline family found in the Pit?
What ERA is represented at the Gallery?
How is Evolution of Life on Earth Explained at the Tar Pits?
Why did the Animals in the Pit go extinct?
How has the Climate at La Brea changed since the great Ice Age?
Describe the Film on Dinasaurs?