Mammoth Skeleton Fossil Found in Downtown LA

No, they didn't find another 60 million year old 42 foot long snake but scientists have discovered a massive Columbian Mammoth who died during the last ice age some 40,000 years ago. The remains were found near La Brea Tar Pits in downtown Los Angeles when workers were digging a foundation for an underground parking garage.

The mammoth, named "Zed" by researches at the Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits, said the creature probably died in his late 40's and is very massive in size. "And he's really big compared to the mammoths we've recovered from La Brea before," laboratory supervisor Shelley Cox said. "The tusks are considerably larger than anything we had expected."

"What makes this so special, so exciting for us is that Zed is a complete specimen," Cox said.

Closer examination of Zed's bones show that he suffered from arthritis and had broken three ribs during his lifetime, probably in fights with other mammoths.

Zed's tusks reach a remarkable length of 10-feet long and are completely in tact, much longer than other previous discoveries. The remaining of the skeleton is about 80% complete, missing a hind leg and a vertebrae. The site also include some 700 other specimens such as; Lian skull, lion bones, saber-toothed cats, teratorn, lynx, sloths, and some other animals.