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 . Set us as preferredResearchers in Los Angeles have made a ribbiting new discovery at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum — an extinct amphibian from the ice age. The spadefoot toad, or Spea labreae, is one of only two ice age amphibians to have been found in the U.S. Unearthing the spadefoot toad wasn’t the result of a targeted search — it happened by accident, much like many of history’s greatest finds. (La Brea Tar Pits)AdvertisementTo identify the spadefoot toad, Cruz said he examined the bones of amphibians found at the Tar Pits, a collection that hadn’t been analyzed in nearly 30 years.