Tar Pits Are a Death Trap. Except for This Fly. | Deep Look

In the sticky oil seeps known as the La Brea Tar Pits, the tiny petroleum fly and their larvae thrive in the natural asphalt that oozes up to the surface. The larvae hunt among the fossilized bones of dire wolves, mammoths and saber-toothed cats. SUBSCRIBE to Deep Look! https://www.youtube.com/user/kqeddeep... Please join our community on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/deeplook DEEP LOOK is an ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED in San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small. — Thousands of years ago, ice age creatures like dire wolves, mammoths and saber-toothed cats met their end in the sticky oil seeps now known as the La Brea Tar Pits. These tar pits, a window into the distant past, are located in the heart of Los Angeles, not far from West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. But among these fossils, the tiny petroleum fly and their larvae not only survive but thrive in the natural asphalt that still oozes to the surface today. While scientists aren’t entirely sure how, adult petroleum flies can walk and mate on the tar pits without getting their feet stuck. But if any other part of their body touches the asphalt, they’re doomed. Their larvae, on the other hand, truly love this environment. They can fully submerge in the dark, viscous asphalt and feast on small insects that get trapped in it. As they eat, petroleum fly larvae end up ingesting a lot of asphalt, which you can see through their guts. Humans, however, could get cancer if we ingested that much asphalt. The larvae need the asphalt to survive. While other insects rely on a waxy layer to protect them from the elements, the petroleum fly larvae’s exterior is so thin that it would dry out without the asphalt. Living among the fossils, the petroleum fly, with unique adaptations and resilience, continues to be a mystery to scientists. --- Are scientists still excavating the La Brea Tar Pits? Yes. Scientists are working on two active excavation sites where they are still finding fossils of different plants and animals that have lived in the LA Basin between 50,000 years ago and today. --- Are there dinosaurs in the La Brea Tar Pits? A common misconception about the La Brea Tar pits is that they contain dinosaur bones. Dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years before the tar pits began to form. The tar pits are an ice age fossil site that formed between 50,000 and 40,000 years ago. --- Have they ever found human remains in the La Brea Tar Pits? Yes. The partial skeleton of a human woman was discovered in 1914. ---+ Find an article and additional resources on KQED Science: https://www.kqed.org/science/1993662/tar-pits-are-a-death-trap-except-for-this-fly ---+ More Great Deep Look episodes: This Daring Fly Swims in a Shimmering Bubble Shield https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T88hBWlxuMQ Yes, That Fly Did Come Up Your Drain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i16o8iXaDac Fly Metamorphosis Is a Beautiful Nightmare https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDkw0txlWgg A Tsetse Fly Births One Enormous Milk-Fed Baby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odCtCote9U0 ---+ Shoutout! 🏆Congratulations🏆 to these fans on our Deep Look Community Tab who correctly answer our GIF challenge! AryaPDipa Royalfelineandtracygrant brettnielsen3103 https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx3qQAIJ8jkgjAiTIndAIxNtrHK9pMA7uu ---+ Thank you to our Top Patreon Supporters ($10+ per month)! Kevin Sholar Burt Humburg Karen Reynolds Daisuke Goto Chris B Emrick Companion Cube Cristen Rasmussen Laurel Przybylski David Deshpande Wade Tregaskis Laurel Przybylski Adam Cleaver Kevin William Walker hoxtom Mark Jobes El Samuels Carrie Mukaida Dot Jessica Hiraoka Noreen Herrington H.M. Andrew Louis O'Neill J Schumacher Drspaceman0 The Mighty X Walter Tschinkel Joan Klivans R B LAUREL PRZYBYLSKI BulletproofFrog Mehdi Lily, Vinny, Izzy Altschuler Jellyman Levi Cai Titania Juang Roberta K Wright Elizabeth Ann Ditz SueEllen McCann MrBeeMovie STEPHANIE DOLE Smoulder the Dragon Hank Poppe xkyoirre KW Jeremiah Sullivan 吳怡彰 wormy boi Marco Narajos ---+ Follow Deep Look and KQED Science on social: https://www.tiktok.com/@deeplookofficial https://www.patreon.com/deeplook Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kqedscience/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kqedscience ---+ About KQED KQED, an NPR and PBS member station in San Francisco, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, radio and web media. Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios and the members of KQED. #petroleumfly #oilfly #labreatarpits


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