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A new species of Ice Age toad discovered at La Brea Tar Pits: The spadefoot toad Spea labreae

Phys · 🇺🇸 public United States · · 772 words · By Natural History Museum
climate_change Paleontology Scientific Discovery
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What to know about climate_change

Researchers have identified a new species of extinct Ice Age spadefoot toad, Spea labreae, from the La Brea Tar Pits. The discovery, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, provides insights into ancient climate conditions and environmental changes at the end of the last ice age.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 10
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center88%
Right12%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

A new species of Ice Age toad discovered at La Brea Tar Pits: The spadefoot toad Spea labreae Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor For the first time, researchers have discovered a new species of extinct amphibian from Ice Age Los Angeles…

Why it matters

Only one other extinct Pleistocene amphibian from North America has ever been found (a tree frog from Florida).

Common ground

While the toad may be much smaller than the mammoths and saber-toothed cats that made the Tar Pits famous, this discovery has a big impact on our understanding of the climate at the end of the last ice age.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Researchers have identified a new species of extinct Ice Age spadefoot toad, Spea labreae, from the La Brea Tar Pits. The discovery, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, provides insights into ancient climate conditions and environmental changes at the end of the last ice age.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-species-ice-age-toad-la.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 100%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
help
Claim 1: “These living toads are no longer found in modern Los Angeles, and their nearest populations are nearly 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) away in southern Mexico.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim.
info
Claim 2: “The study's lead author, Dr. Alberto Cruz... remains a research associate while working full time as a researcher for Mexico's SECIHTI-Centro de Investigación Paleontológica Quinametzin (CIPAQ), Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH).”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided includes a general page for SECIHTI and unrelated documents about Ebola and Islamic finance, but does not confirm Dr. Alberto Cruz's specific employment or role.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — She served as medical director of an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone during the 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic. Mbala is a Congolese virologist and the head of epidemiology and global healt…
https://www.statnews.com/2026/08/10/ebola-outbreak-zaire-ebo…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The paper discusses the controversial nature of 'Inah and Tawarruq in Islamic finance, highlighting the reservations scholars have regarding their use in financial products. While 'Inah is criticized …
https://www.academia.edu/29229894/Assignment_Inah_and_Tawarr…
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web search NEUTRAL — Con la nueva Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación Secihti, México tiene la capacidad de convertirse en una potencia científica y tecnológica, referente regional y global, con un…
https://secihti.mx/
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Claim 3: “researchers have discovered a new species of extinct amphibian from Ice Age Los Angeles at La Brea Tar Pits: a spadefoot toad they have named Spea labreae”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (La Brea Tar Pits official site, EurekAlert!, LAist, and Wikipedia) confirm the discovery of the extinct spadefoot toad species Spea labreae at the La Brea Tar Pits.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_paleontology
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A list of prehistoric and extant species whose fossils have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits, located in present-day Hancock Park, a city park on the Miracle Mile section of the Mid-Wilshire distric…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleobiota_of_the_La_Brea_Tar_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spea labreae is an extinct species of North American spadefoot toad (family Scaphiopodidae) in the genus Spea, known from Pleistocene–Holocene-dated fossils collected from the La Brea Tar Pits in Cali…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spea_labreae
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 4: “the study identifies the first record of the Mexican burrowing toad, Rhinophrynus, from the southwestern United States.”
CORROBORATED
Both EurekAlert! and The Brighter Side of News confirm that the study identifies the first record of the Mexican burrowing toad (Rhinophrynus) in the southwestern United States.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Mexican burrowing toad (Rhinophrynus dorsalis) is the single living representative of the family Rhinophrynidae. It is a unique species in its taxonomy and morphology, with special adaptations to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_burrowing_toad
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The assemblage also provides the first southwestern US record of Rhinophrynus. These amphibian records indicate major regional environmental and species-range changes since the last ice age.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-species-ice-age-toad-la.html?r…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The study also reports the first southwestern U.S. record of Rhinophrynus, the Mexican burrowing toad genus. Researchers identified it from a worn left femur measuring 11.41 millimeters long. Because …
https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/extinct-ice-age-toad-f…
info
Claim 5: “Cruz compared Tar Pits amphibians to 80 specimens at the Herpetology Collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists of unrelated medical provider listings in Connecticut and has no connection to Dr. Alberto Cruz or herpetology collections.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Our office will handle non-emergency requests within 48 hours. Trust Connecticut GI for expert digestive care from a leading gastroenterologist in Hartford, CT. Your health comes first.
https://www.connecticutgi.org/ctgi-hartford/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Discover top Family Physicians in Seymour, CT - View 520 providers with an average of 27 years experience and 1,184 reviews.
https://doctor.webmd.com/providers/specialty/family-medicine…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — We are talking about a less invasive surgical advancement when it comes to treating patients with hemorrhagic strokes. The technology allows doctors to remove blood clots from the brain that could not…
https://hartfordhospital.org/find-a-doctor/physician-detail?…
verified
Claim 6: “Only one other extinct Pleistocene amphibian from North America has ever been found (a tree frog from Florida).”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions of the word 'prior' and a Wikipedia entry for Portugal, neither of which address Pleistocene amphibians in North America.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country in Southwestern Europe. Mainland Portugal is located on the southwestern portion of the Iberian Peninsula, and bordered by Spain to the north…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugal
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago · previous and prior imply existing or occurring earlier, but prior often adds an implication of greater importance.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prior
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — PRIOR definition: 1. existing or happening before something else, or before a particular time: 2. before a…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/prior
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 7: “Described in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, S. labreae spotlights the ongoing daily discoveries at the Samuel Oschin Global Center for Ice Age Research at La Brea Tar Pits”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources (EurekAlert!, Particle, and The Brighter Side of News) explicitly state that the discovery was described in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spea labreae is an extinct species of North American spadefoot toad (family Scaphiopodidae) in the genus Spea, known from Pleistocene–Holocene-dated fossils collected from the La Brea Tar Pits in Cali…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spea_labreae
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_paleontology
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spea is a genus of North American amphibian commonly referred to as the western spadefoot toads. They differ greatly from true toads (those of the family Bufonidae) by having eyes with vertical pupils…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spea
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 8: “This material is originally from the 1950s”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim includes unrelated content about George Orwell and basic calculators. While one source mentions a 'forgotten fossil from 1950s' in the context of claim 5, the specific evidence block for claim 4 contains no relevant information.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spea labreae is an extinct species of North American spadefoot toad (family Scaphiopodidae) in the genus Spea, known from Pleistocene–Holocene-dated fossils collected from the La Brea Tar Pits in Cali…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spea_labreae
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spea or SPEA may refer to: Spea, a genus of amphibians SpeA, an enzyme also known as arginine decarboxylase SPEA (company), an Italian tech company School of Public and Environmental Affairs at India…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPEA
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spea is a genus of North American amphibian commonly referred to as the western spadefoot toads. They differ greatly from true toads (those of the family Bufonidae) by having eyes with vertical pupils…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spea
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 9: “A new extinct Pleistocene species of spadefoot toad and comments on the paleoecology and paleobiogeography of anurans from rancho La Brea, Q1 California, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (2026). DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2026.2689465”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim, although other claims corroborate the existence of the study in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
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Claim 10: “Dr. Emily Lindsey, curator and excavation site director at the Samuel Oschin Center for Global Ice Age Research at La Brea Tar Pits”
CORROBORATED
Three independent sources (Natural History Museum, EurekAlert!, and a news snippet) confirm Dr. Emily Lindsey's title as Curator and Excavation Site Director at the Samuel Oschin Center for Global Ice Age Research.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Emily Lindsey. Curator and Excavation Site Director, Samuel Oschin Center for Global Ice Age Research, La Brea Tar Pits.
https://nhm.org/person/lindsey-emily
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ...even after a century of ongoing excavation and research,” Dr. Emily Lindsey, a study co-author and Curator and Excavation Site Director at the Samuel Oschin Center for Global Ice Age Research at La…
https://www.popsci.com/science/forgotten-fossil-new-frog-ice…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It's very cool.” “It’s a great example of how we’re still finding new things at La Brea Tar Pits, even after a century of ongoing excavation and research,” says Dr. Emily Lindsey, Curator and Excavati…
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1137560
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.