The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles are the site of millions of fossils from the ice age. Woolly mammoths, giant sloths, dragonflies, and other plants and animals from this era have been found in these pits.

Scientists at the tar pits discovered that many of the smaller animals they extracted from the pits still exist around Los Angeles today. But many of the larger mammals—such as woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers—are now extinct. Why do you think this is the case? What can scientists learn about Los Angeles’ climate history by studying the specimens found in these tar pits?