Broomistega is a rhinesuchid temnospondyl amphibian from the Early Triassic of South Africa. It was named in 2000 by Michael A. Shishkin and Bruce Sydney Rubidge. It was one of the last temnospondyls to exist, and was once considered to be a juvenile form for another, bigger rhinesuchid, right before it was discovered to be its own genus.
Physiology[]
Broomistega resembled the generic temnospondyl. It was a fish-like amphibian with 4 legs, a moderately-sized tail, a broad body, a big, semi-flat head with big jaws, and eyes on the top of its head. Its body would have been covered in smooth skin.
Diet[]
Broomistega was a predator, preying on insects, worms, and small reptiles. Its teeth were small yet sharp, and were used to get a hold of struggling prey as the amphibian swallowed them whole.
Ecology[]
So far, all we know about Broomistega's lifestyle is that it was a semi-aquatic predator that possibly ambushed prey. However, an interesting thing to note is that a juvenile Broomistega individual got seriously injured (left with a few broken ribs on the right side of its ribcage) and fled into the burrow of a sleeping Thrinaxodon; even more interesting is that the cynodont didn't dare to attack the temnospondyl. A possible explanation for this is that the proto-mammal either tolerated the amphibian or couldn't remove it from its burrow (due to a prolonged dormancy).