What is "brochuchus"

Brochuchus is an extinct genus of crocodile known from the Miocene Hiwegi Formation of Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria, Kenya. It contains a single species, Brochuchus pigotti. Brochuchus belongs to the subfamily Crocodylinae, which includes all living crocodiles. The closest living relative of Brochuchus is Osteolaemus, the dwarf crocodile. Compared to Osteolaemus, which has a small body and blunt snout, Brochuchus has a more generalized crocodylid anatomy. Brochuchus is characterized by a flat and relatively narrow skull, and although it is larger than Osteolaemus it is smaller than most other crocodylids. It has two prominent bumps on the surface of its snout.

The genus was named in honor of Christopher A. Brochu, for his scientific work on Crocodylia and its relatives. The unusual combination and spelling are intended as an auditory and visual pun such that the ‘ch’ sound in Brochu takes the place of the ‘s’ sound in ‘suchus.’ combined with ‘souchus’ (Greek for crocodile), which is a common suffix for crocodylomorph genera.