Zed, 40,000-Year-Old Mammoth, Takes Center Stage at La Brea Tar Pits Renovation

• Zed, a nearly intact 40,000-year-old Columbian mammoth, is the centerpiece of a major renovation at the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum in Los Angeles, the first since 1977.
• Discovered in 2006 during parking garage construction, Zed's 80% complete skeleton was preserved in an ancient stream bed, not directly in tar, making it a rare and valuable find.
• Paleontologists, bone experts, climate scientists, and genetic researchers are collaboratively studying Zed to reconstruct his life, diet, injuries, and the Ice Age environment.
• Scientists hypothesize Zed may have died after slipping or being injured near sticky asphalt pools, common traps for animals in Ice Age Los Angeles.
• Zed's well-preserved bones offer crucial insights into ancient ecosystems, climate change impacts, and extinction patterns, aiding modern conservation efforts and genetic research into de-extinction.

Why It Matters: Zed, a 40,000-year-old mammoth, is a scientific marvel at La Brea Tar Pits, offering vital insights into the Ice Age.