American Mastodon (Mammut americanum)

Status: extinct

This was one of the largest mammals ever trapped in the tart pits at La Brea. The American mastodon is a distant relative to the mammoth and modern day elephant. An adult American mastodon stood 10 feet at the shoulders and weighed as much as 6 tons.

The mastodon had blunt cone-like teeth, which were used to feed upon herbs, shrubs, branches and twigs. This large mammal likely stayed within forests and away from the open grasslands and savannas.