Editing Robert Broom (section)

==Life==

Broom was born at 66 Back Sneddon Street in [[Paisley, Renfrewshire|Paisley]], [[Renfrewshire (historic)|Renfrewshire]], Scotland, the son of John Broom, a designer of calico prints and [[Paisley design|Paisley shawls]], and Agnes Hunter Shearer.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002|isbn= 0-902-198-84-X |date=July 2006|publisher=RSE Scotland Foundation }}</ref>

In 1893, he married Mary Baird Baillie, his childhood sweetheart.<ref name="Findlay1972">{{cite book|last=Findlay|first=George |title=Dr. Robert Broom, F.R.S.; palaeontologist and physician, 1866-1951: a biography, appreciation and bibliography|url=https://archive.org/details/drrobertbroomfrs0000find|url-access=registration|year=1972|publisher=A. A. Balkema}}</ref>

In his medical studies at the University of Glasgow Broom specialised in obstetrics.<ref name="SAHO" /> After graduating in 1895 he travelled to Australia, supporting himself by practising medicine. He settled in South Africa in 1897,<ref name="SAHO">{{cite web|title=Robert Broom|url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/robert-broom|website=South African History Online|access-date=23 March 2017|date=17 February 2011}}</ref> just prior to the [[South African War]]. From 1903 to 1910, he was professor of Zoology and Geology at Victoria College, Stellenbosch (later [[Stellenbosch University]]), but was forced out of this position for promoting belief in evolution.<ref name="SAHO" /> He established a medical practice in the [[Karoo]] region of South Africa, an area rich in [[therapsid]] fossils. Based on his continuing studies of these fossils and mammalian anatomy he was made a Fellow of the [[Royal Society]] in 1920. Following the discovery of the [[Taung child]] he became interested in the search for human ancestors and commenced work on much more recent fossils from the dolomite caves north-west of Johannesburg, particularly [[Sterkfontein]] Cave (now part of the [[Cradle of Humankind]] World Heritage Site). As well as describing many mammalian fossils from these caves he identified several [[hominin]] fossils, the most complete of which was an [[australopithecine]] skull, nicknamed [[Mrs Ples]], and a partial skeleton that indicated that australopithecines walked upright.<ref name="SAHO" />

Broom died in [[Pretoria]], South Africa in 1951.