The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLA) will present “Extreme Mammals” from May 14 to Sept. 10.

Reaching an adult weight of 20 tons, Indricotherium is the largest mammal ever discovered. It lived in central Asia between 23 and 34 million years ago, and its closest living relative is the rhinoceros.
(photo courtesy of AMNH/D. Finnin)

Organized by the American Museum of Natural History, the exhibition explores the 200-million-year history of mammals, including animals that will be new to many visitors. With rare fossils and specimens from around the world, vivid reconstructions, video installations and hands-on activities, the exhibition examines the ancestry and evolution of species ranging from massive Columbian mammoths and walking whale ancestors to miniscule mammals that weighed as little as a dollar bill, and from speedy cheetahs to super-slow tree sloths.

“Mammals become extreme in response to their environments, adapting and evolving to survive the changes in their surroundings,” said Xiaoming Wang, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology. “‘Extreme Mammals’ presents visitors with a special opportunity to learn about the epic evolutionary journey of mammals throughout time.”

Many of the animals featured in ‘Extreme Mammals’ are extinct. The exhibition examines the causes of past extinctions, including climate change, human activities, and other factors, and challenges visitors to think about how we can save species threatened by similar factors today.

The expanded Los Angeles version of the exhibition closes with a special section featuring memorable fossils and content from NHMLA’s sister institution and research site, the La Brea Tar Pits. The Tar Pits’ iconic onsite seeps represent the world’s only consistently active and urban Ice Age excavation site. Tar Pits highlights in ‘Extreme Mammals’ include an exploration of North American big cats, ranging from the hyper-specialized saber-toothed cat, to the biggest American lion, to the least specialized mountain lion, the only one of the Ice Age’s big cat species to have survived in modern day Los Angeles. Of particular resonance to Angelenos, the exhibit will also present a feature on L.A.’s own P-22, the Griffith Park mountain lion.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is located at 900 Exposition Blvd. For information, visit nhm.org.