La Brea Bird Bones points pyrite was sometimes mistaken for

pyrite was sometimes mistaken for gold

The pygidium (tail shield) is large and nearly circular

growing up to 25 cm (10 in)

dugongs and giant squids

Plesiosaurs were marine reptiles that appeared in the Triassic and died out along with the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period

La Brea Bird Bones points pyrite was sometimes mistaken forSandhill Crane Ulna and Neck Vertebra & Redhead Duck Humerus Late Pleistocene epoch Approx. 20,000 30,000 years old Rancho La Brea Formation Maricopa, California Specimen approx. size: 5. 25" x 2. 5" x 2. 25" Due to their fragile nature, bird bones are relatively less common in the fossil record than those of other taxa. However, thanks to the preservative properties of asphalt, Rancho La Brea has one of the worlds largest collections of fossil birds,