Tar. The word itself brings to mind a wide range of beautiful images, and our world would not be the same without this wonderful substance. Tar is all around you; tar is what makes your television work, it’s the crunch in your dog’s food, and it’s the sheen in a freshly polished pair of loafers.

I’ll make a bold call: In this world that we live in, it’s impossible to tell where the tar ends, and life begins.

Have you ever wondered where tar comes from? What if I told you that there is a gigantic tar lake in the middle of Los Angeles. And what if I told you that during the last ice age, hundreds of prehistoric animals found themselves trapped in the tar, their bones turned into fossils, and their fur turned into fabulous scarves and briefcases for use by upscale cavemen? It’s all true.

Here at Whynatte, we have a certain appreciation for all things tar, wooley, and sabered. Which is why we sent Sari, on behalf of Whynatte, to the La Brea tar pits. Next to the pits is a terrific tar museum, which is definitely worth checking out the next time you’re in LA.

Here are the photos:

Is the fence to keep the humans out, or to keep the saber toothed tigers in?

Hello, old friend:

God, to think about the cookouts that the cavemen used to have…

Animals would wander into the tar pits, and get stuck. Predators would then enter to eat the trapped animals, and themselves become stuck. Hence the old saying, “Don’t chase the wooley mammoth into the tar pit.”

Back in the day, the anteaters had long curved antlers: