Name: Sinraptor
(Chinese thief).
Phonetic: Sin-rap-tore.
Named By: Currie & Zhao- 1994.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Saurischia, Theropoda, Allosauroidea, Sinraptoridae.
Species: S. dongi (type),
S. hepingensis.
Type: Carnivore.
Size: 7.6 meters long.
Known locations: China - Shishugou Formation.
Time period: Late Jurassic.
Fossil representation: Two individuals.
Many
people often think that Sinraptor will be another
dromaeosaurid
dinosaur, when in actual fact it was a medium sized theropod of a
similar build to Allosaurus.
This is not the first instance that a non
dromaeosaurid dinosaur has been given the inclusion of 'raptor' in its
name with others such as Fukuiraptor
also proving to be more 'standard'
theropods.
Sinraptor
was discovered during a joint Chinese/Canadian expedition, and the type
species was named in honour of the eminent Chinese palaeontologist Dong
Zhiming. The naming of the second Sinraptor
species, S. hepingensis,
came about after new material for Yangchuanosaurus
was found to more
closely resemble Sinraptor than the Yangchuanosaurus
holotype.
Although
not the largest of the Asian theropods of the time, Sinraptor
would
have likely been near the top of the food chain with only larger
carnivores such as Yangchuanosaurus being able to
challenge it. In this
position it would have likely hunted smaller dinosaurs and possibly
juvenile sauropods before they grew too big to be attacked.
Further reading
- A new carnosaur (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Jurassic of
Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. - Canadian Journal of Earth
Sciences 30(10-11):2037-2081. - P. J. Currie & X. -J. Zhao -
1994.
- Dental anatomy of the apex predator Sinraptor dongi
(Theropoda:
Allosauroidea) from the Late Jurassic of China. - Canadian Journal of
Earth Sciences. 57 (9). - Christophe Hendrickx, Josef Stiegler, Philip
J. Currie, Fenglu Han, Xing Xu, Jonah N. Choiniere & Xiao-Chun
Wu - 2020.