Curious exceptions.John Harris John Harris may refer to: Dr. John Harris Internationlly Known Educator, Speaker, Philosopher, Theologian, and HomileticianItalic text http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography. is quoted as saying that the absence of opossums is a "curious exception" to the list of current mammals of the Los Angeles Basin The Los Angeles Basin is the coastal sediment-filled plain located between the peninsular and transverse ranges in southern California in the United States containing the central part of the city of Los Angeles as well as its southern and southeastern suburbs (both in Los Angeles preserved in the La Brea tar pits La Brea Tar Pits Fossil field in Hancock Park (formerly Rancho La Brea), Los Angeles, Calif., U.S. It is the site of “pitch springs” oozing crude oil, formerly used by local Indians for waterproofing, and was explored by Gaspar de Portolá's expedition in ("L.A.'s Oldest Tourist Trap tourist trap n. A place, such as a shop or resort area, that offers overpriced goods and services to tourists. ," SN: 1/24/04, p. 56). But the presence of opossums on the West Coast is well documented to be very recent. All current California opossums derive entirely from the liberation of the stock of failed fur farms in the San Jose area circa 1910. MICHAEL J.P. NICHOLS, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. Believe it or not, the tar pits of Hancock Park hold sentimental value for me. They provided one of the best, free learning experiences one could find in the 1950s in my then-smog-ridden hometown. They helped spark an undying love of the sciences. ANDREW J. GLICK, CENTREVILLE, VA. With its title, I expected the article to report that human remains had been found in one of the tar pits. But the story ended by only implying that human remains had been found: "... scientists have identified remnants from every mammal species that lives in the Los Angeles Basin today--with the curious exception of opossums...." So, have human remains been found? JIM Jim Miss Watson’s runaway slave; Huck’s traveling companion. [Am. Lit.: Huckleberry Finn] See : Escape NOTTKE, PFAFFTOWN, N.C. Yes, one. The "La Brea woman," trapped about 4,000 years ago.--S. PERKINS |
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