# Forgotten 1950s Fossil Turns Out to Be a New Ice Age Toad Species

*2026-08-17 10:01 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> Fossils shelved since the 1950s turned out to belong to Spea labreae, only the second extinct Ice Age amphibian species ever found in North America.

Researchers at La Brea Tar Pits have identified a previously unknown species of extinct spadefoot toad, named Spea labreae, from fossil material that sat unexamined in the museum's collection since the 1950s. It is only the second extinct Pleistocene amphibian ever described in North America.

Dr. Alberto Cruz, a postdoctoral fellow at the Tar Pits, spotted distinctive skeletal features while reviewing the amphibian and reptile collection, which had not been closely assessed in nearly 30 years. Comparisons against roughly 80 specimens in museum collections confirmed the bones belonged to a new species rather than any known spadefoot toad.

The find matters beyond taxonomy: amphibians are sensitive climate proxies because of their limited mobility and narrow environmental tolerances. The disappearance of S. labreae alongside a documented northward range shift of the Mexican burrowing toad, whose modern range sits roughly 2,500 km south of Los Angeles, helps researchers reconstruct how Southern California's climate shifted as the last Ice Age ended.

## Sources

- [tarpits.org](https://tarpits.org/press/new-species-ice-age-toad-discovered-la-brea-tar-pits-spadefoot-toad-spea-labreae)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/2204-forgotten-1950s-fossil-turns-out-to-be-a-new-ice-age-toad-species
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2277-zapomenuta-fosilie-z-50-let-se-ukazala-jako-novy-druh-zaby-z-doby-ledove