Broomisaurus

Name: Broomisaurus ‭(‬Brooms‭’ ‬lizard‭)‬.
Phonetic: Broom-e-sour-us.
Named By: Joleaud‭ ‬-‭ ‬1920.
Synonyms: Scymnorhinus planiceps.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Synapsida,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Gorgonopsidae.
Species: B.‭ ‬planiceps‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Uncertain.
Known locations: South Africa.
Time period: Mid Permian.
Fossil representation: Partial fragmentary remains.

       Broomisaurus was originally named as Scymnorhinus planiceps by Robert Broom in‭ ‬1913,‭ ‬however the genus name Scymnorhinus had already been established,‭ ‬so the name Broomisaurus was given to this gorgonopsid by Joleaud in‭ ‬1920.‭ ‬Because Broomisaurus is only known from fragmentary remains the genus has often been listed as a Nomen‭ ‬dubium because it would be incredibly difficult to identify and assign further fossils to them.‭ ‬There is also speculation that Broomisaurus may be synonymous with the genus Eriphostoma,‭ ‬though again,‭ ‬the poor state of preservation in known Broomisaurus makes even this difficult to be absolutely certain about.

Further reading
-‭ ‬New information on the morphology and stratigraphic range of the mid-Permian gorgonopsian Eriphostoma microdon Broom,‭ ‬1911.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Papers in Palaeontology.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Christian F.‭ ‬Kammerer,‭ ‬Roger M.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Smith,‭ ‬Michael O.‭ ‬Day‭ & ‬Bruce S.‭ ‬Rubidge‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Random favourites