This bone assemblage was recovered from the Maricopa asphalt seep in Southern California in the 1960’s and 70’s.

There are two large tarsometatarsus, a bird claw, toe bone and two other small bird bones in the matrix.

Obtaining ‘tar pit’ fossils is nearly impossible today, unless from an old collection or from private property.

George Lee, a prominent fossil collector collected and kept quite a bit of this material in his warehouse for decades. It wasn’t until his estate was liquidated in the early 2000’s that it saw the light of day again.

This specimen has been painstakingly prepared to showcase the amazing density of bones from the unfortunate victims to the sticky, natural traps of the oozing asphalt seeps that California is known for.

Aquila chrysaetus and other species not identified. Rancho La Brea Formation late Pleistocene