A New Scientific Research Hub
We envision being the world’s leading center for Ice Age science and its relevance to our modern extinction and climate crises. The Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research will be the intellectual core of La Brea Tar Pits, studying how ancient ecosystems responded to climate change and mass extinction, and what those lessons mean for us today.
“There is no place on Earth like La Brea Tar Pits. It is fitting to honor my husband Samuel Oschin’s legacy by supporting science and research in the heart of Los Angeles, a city he helped to develop and shape,” said Lynda Oschin, Chairman of the Board and Secretary of the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation. “Sam and I started the foundation in order to inspire future generations by supporting organizations that deepen our understanding of the world around us. Through this work, I know the lessons of Ice Age Los Angeles will inspire countless scientists and young students here and globally.”
The Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research encompasses research, excavation, scientific analysis, academic publishing, and collections management. The new center's impact and work will be woven into the landscape of Hancock Park, integrated into the George C. Page Museum, and infused into every Tar Pits program, driving the visitor experience and reaching global audiences. Indigenous communities within the Los Angeles Basin will serve as integral co-developers of research and educational programs.
An Active Field Site
The Tar Pits’ unique geologic conditions have led to exceptional preservation of Ice Age fossils over millennia. Ongoing excavations, spanning more than a century and projected to continue for decades, have yielded more than 3.5 million specimens. This ongoing work helps us to understand past environments, develop strategies for adapting to climate change, train new scientists, and educate K–12 students, along with visitors to the site.
Interdisciplinary World-Class Research at La Brea Tar Pits
The Tar Pits’ rich fossil record attracts scientists, postdoctoral researchers, graduate, and undergraduate students globally. In addition, our team goes to tar seeps around the world to train other scientists on the latest techniques and assist with excavations. Through the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research, our findings will be translated into actionable knowledge for climate and conservation policy.
The Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research's Incomparable Collections
Distinguished by an extensive collection of dire wolves and saber-toothed cats and one of the world’s largest bird fossil collections, the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research will be home to the Tar Pits’ incredible wealth of specimens. Collections continue to grow with recent efforts focusing on plants, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals, many of which still live in Los Angeles today. These new finds offer vital insights into past climate shifts and how species responded to environmental change.
Innovation and Preservation
The fossils found at La Brea Tar Pits are preserved to such a degree that the compounds necessary for radiocarbon dating and paleoecological analyses are available to researchers. Scientists at the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research are developing and using new methods for recovering ancient proteins and DNA, creating climate and extinction models, and building digital fossil archives and new tools for ecological reconstruction.