I know what you’re thinking…
YUK! But this specimen is no dung beetle. This is a FOSSILISED diving beetle
from the La Brea Tar Pits near Los Angeles.
The diving beetle is taxonomically known as Cybister
explanatus. It is from the family Dytiscidae – diving beetles from this family
are all predators. According to ‘That Internet’ C. explanatus is edible and is
commonly eaten roasted in tacos in Mexico.
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| Lucy's fossilised diving beetle cake! |
The La Brea Tar Pits are fascinating just in themselves.
Unlike C. explanatus, many of the animals excavated from the tar pits are now
extinct, such as the giant ground sloth or the sabre-toothed tiger. Over 3.5
million specimens make up the collections specific to La Brea.
Current
excavations are looking specifically for the microfossils, such as beetles and
plants. You can explore the specimens at Los Angeles County Natural History
Museum.
One of the reasons I love the #MusCake project so much is
that it really helps us see what amazing specimens there are across all our
collections.
By First World War Projects Curator Lucy Moore
@CuratorLucy
By First World War Projects Curator Lucy Moore
@CuratorLucy
