New petroleum-degrading bacteria found at Rancho La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles

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A tar pit at Rancho La Brea. Pits like these have yielded thousands of animal fossils. Credit: D. E. Crowley UCR
A tar pit at Rancho La Brea. Pits like these have yielded thousands of animal fossils. Credit: D. E. Crowley, UCR

Environmental scientists at UC Riverside have discovered that the Rancho La Brea tar pits in downtown Los Angeles, Calif., house hundreds of new species of bacteria with unusual properties, allowing the bacteria to survive and grow in heavy oil and natural asphalt.


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