Extinct Ice Age toad Spea labreae discovered at Los Angeles' La Brea Tar Pits

Paleontologists have identified a new extinct spadefoot toad species, Spea labreae, from fossils recovered at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. The discovery, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, marks the first Ice Age amphibian found in the region and only the second extinct Pleistocene amphibian known from North America.

The specimens—two fragments of the sacro‑urostyle—were part of a 1929 collection that remained unstudied until research associate Dr. J. Alberto Cruz re‑examined them in 2023. Cruz, together with Dr. Emily Lindsey, confirmed the species and noted that its presence, along with evidence of the Mexican burrowing toad, provides a precise gauge of ancient climate conditions, suggesting a colder, wetter Los Angeles during the last Ice Age. The find highlights the continued scientific value of museum archives and offers new data for reconstructing prehistoric environments.