Robert
Broom was a South African physician and paleontologist. He received his Masters
Degree in 1895 from the University of Glasgow.
In 1903 he became a Professor of Geology at
Broom
was first known for his study of mammal-like reptiles. After Raymond Dart’s discovery of the Taung child,
an infantile australopithecine, Broom’s interest in anthropology,
specifically paleoanthropology, was heightened. In 1934 Broom joined the staff
of the
It
was during the years to follow when he made a succession of spectacular finds
including fragments from six hominids in Sterkfontien, later classified as an
adult australopithecine,
as well as more discoveries at sites in Kromdraai and Swartkrans. In
1937, Broom made his most famous discovery- an Australopithecus Robustus.
These discoveries helped support Dart’s claims for the Taung species. The
remainder of Broom’s career was devoted to the exploration of these sites
and the interpretation of the many early hominid remains discovered there.
Delson, Eric; Ian
Tattersall and John Van Couvering. Encyclopedia of Human Evolution and
Prehistory.
Written by: Students in an Introduction to
Anthropology Class,