| Sinraptor Temporal range: 160–Late Jurassic Ma | |
|---|---|
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| Sinraptor | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| clade: | Carnosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Theropoda |
| Infraorder: | Dinosauria |
| Superfamily: | Allosauridae |
| Family: | Metriacanthosauridae |
| Subfamily: | Metriacanthosaurinae |
| Type species | |
| †Sinraptor dongi Currie and Zhao, 1994 | |
| Referred species | |
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Sinraptor is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic. The name Sinraptor comes from the Latin suffix "Sino", meaning "Chinese", and "Raptor" meaning "Thief". The specific name dongi honours Dong Zhiming. Despite its name, Sinraptor is not related to dromaeosaurids (often nicknamed "raptors") like Velociraptor.
Discovery[]
Two Sinraptors attacking Shunosaurus attacking Dinosaur Revolution.
The holotype specimen of Sinraptor was uncovered from the Shishugou Formation during a joint Chinese/Canadian expedition to the northwestern Chinese desert in 1987, and described by Philip J. Currie and Xian Zhao in 1994. Standing nearly 3 meters tall (10 ft) and measuring roughly 7.6 meters (25 ft) in length, two species of Sinraptor have been named. S. dongi, the type species, was described by Currie and Zhao in 1994.
A second species, originally named Yangchuanosaurus hepingensis by Gao in 1992, may actually represent a second species of Sinraptor. Whether or not this is the case, Sinraptor and Yangchuanosaurus were certainly close relatives, and are classified together in the family Sinraptoridae. The skeleton of Sinraptor hepingensis (formerly referred to Yangchuanosaurus) is on display at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, Zigong , China.
Description[]
Sinraptor is a dinosaur which lived approximately 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic Period. It was first discovered by a joint Chinese and Canadian expedition in the Shishugou Formation of China in 1987. In 1994, it was named by Philip J. Currie and Xian Zhao, who gave it the name Sinraptor which means “Chinese raptor”.
This dinosaur was around 25 feet long, 10 feet tall and weighed approximately 2000 pounds or 1 ton. It was probably a fierce—albeit small—carnivore that probably hunted very well. Since many of the herbivores in this part of the world were giant, they probably hunted the juvenile members of them. Perhaps separating these young sauropods from their parents to hunt them. However, it probably also had to contend with other larger predators who may have given it some grief during the course of its life.
An interesting fact about Sinraptor is that it isn’t a true raptor. Sure, it was bipedal like a raptor but that is where the similarities end. It would be millions of years after the death of this dinosaur before raptors would come on the scene. Paleontologists actually think that the Sinraptor was an Allosaur.
In the Media[]
- Sinraptor appeared in Dinosaur Revolution, where they are depicted living only alongside Shunosaurus. In reality, they would co-exist with both Mamenchisaurus & Shunosaurus. A pair of Sinraptors hunted a toxinated young male Shunosaurus named Shroomo, but are both defeated. One killed and the other driven off.
- Sinraptor is featured in Dinosaur King.
- It also appears in Planet Dinosaur, where one juvenile tries to attack and eat an Epidexipteryx, but fails. But when another, larger Epidexipteryx comes down to the ground, it attacks, kills, and eats it.
- Sinraptor also appeared in the TV series, Ancient Earth, where it is depicted with feathers and is shown co-existing alongside Kulindadromeus, when the episode itself takes place in Siberia, Russia.
- Another juvenile appears in the new Netflix Original Documentary Series, Life on Our Planet, where it is hunting a female Anchiornis.
- Sinraptor appeared in Paleoworld, attacking juvenile Bellusaurus.