Here are some tips for searching the Rancho La Brea Collections
At Rancho La Brea we identify, catalog and curate each isolated element whether complete or not. It is important to note that the deposits were formed at different times and a single deposit may span hundreds to thousands of years. The search results will show an image of the specimen if it is available, the catalog number, the identification thus far, the element and part thereof, the collection and the deposit where it was found.
Currently the only collection available online is from Project 23. Other parts of our collections will become available at a later date.
The following tips will help your search criteria
Taxon: Typically you would search for a genus here. For example if you search for Canis it will bring up all the specimens that have been assigned to this genus. However, some specimens have not been completely identified and so you can also search for family, order, class, etc. in this field. For example if you search for Rodentia it will bring up all the specimens that have been assigned to that order including those identified to genus and species.
Element: If you are interested in a particular bone, you can use this field to search for it. For example, if you wanted to know the number of skulls in the collection you would enter ‘skull’ in this field.
Collection: Use the drop down menu here to restrict your search for specimens within a particular collection. This will include more collections as they become available.
Pit/Deposit: Simply search for a deposit number only here. If you leave this blank your search results will include all deposits.
Catalog Number: If you know a specific catalog number you can search for it here. Keep in mind that there are many different pre-fix acronyms and letters that are part of the catalog numbers. Do not include LACM in your search.
Too many results? Try narrowing your search down by making a selection in several of the fields.
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