In Depth
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.
