The La BREA Tar Pits are a group of tar pits located in Los Angeles, California. They are one of the most famous fossil sites in the world, and have been a source of numerous fossils since their discovery in the late 19th century. The tar pits are made up of asphalt deposits that have been naturally seeping up from the ground for thousands of years. The asphalt has trapped and preserved many fossils of animals and plants that lived in the area during the last Ice Age. The La BREA Tar Pits are now a popular tourist attraction and a major scientific research site.