Tropidostoma
genus of mammals (fossil)
Tropidostoma is a medium-sized herbivorous oudenodontid dicynodont therapsid that lived during the Late Permian (Lopingian) period in South Africa. The first Tropidostoma fossil was described by Harry Govier Seeley in 1889. Later two subspecies were identified. Tropidostoma fossils are an index fossil in a biozone of the Karoo Basin known as the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone. This biozone is characterized by the presence of this species in association with another dicynodont species, Endothiodon uniseries.
History of discovery
The first Tropidostoma fossil material was found during a field expedition in the Upper Permian-aged Teekloof Formation of the Beaufort Group. This material was later described by Seeley (1889) in a study in which he described two fossils which had been named Dicynodon microtrema and Tropidostoma dunni. In 1915, several years after Seeley's death, the paleontologist, Robert Broom, reexamined the same material and discovered that the fossil material in question was of the same species. This new single species was renamed Tropidostoma microtrema. Some years later, the name T. microtrema was changed to Tropidostoma dubium, and Tropidostoma dunni is now considered to be the type species.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Tropidostoma” as genus of mammals (fossil). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as genus of mammals (fossil). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 2, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q7846231. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1889 and 1915.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Tropidostoma”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Tropidostoma primary sources, Tropidostoma archive and Tropidostoma research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Tropidostoma”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Tropidostoma” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.