''Sinraptor'' is a genus of

metriacanthosaurid Metriacanthosauridae is an extinct family (biology), family of Allosauroidea, allosauroid theropod dinosaurs that lived from the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. When broken down into its Greek roots, it means "moderately-spined lizards". ...

theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic. The name ''Sinraptor'' comes from the Latin prefix "Sino", meaning Chinese, and "raptor" meaning robber. The specific name ''dongi'' honours Dong Zhiming. Despite its name, ''Sinraptor'' is not related to dromaeosaurids (often nicknamed "raptors") like '' Velociraptor''. Instead, it was a

carnosaur Carnosauria is an extinct large group of predatory dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Starting from the 1990s, scientists have discovered some very large carnosaurs in the carcharodontosaurid family, such as ''Gig ...

distantly related to '' Allosaurus''. ''Sinraptor'' and its close relatives were among the earliest members of the Jurassic carnosaurian radiation. ''Sinraptor'' still remains the best-known member of the family Metriacanthosauridae, with some older sources even using the name "Sinraptoridae" for the family.

Discovery

Zigong Dinosaur Museum Yangchuanosaurus hepingensis

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 Philip John Currie (born March 13, 1949) is a Canadian palaeontologist and museum curator who helped found the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta and is now a professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. In the ...

and Zhao Xijin in 1993. Standing nearly tall and measuring roughly in length, two species of ''Sinraptor'' have been named. ''S. dongi'', the type species, was described by Currie and Zhao in 1993. 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 close relatives, and are classified together in the family Metriacanthosauridae. Gregory S. Paul proposed that ''S. dongi'' would reach in length and in body mass, while Holtz estimated it to be in length. The dentition of ''Sinraptor'' was very similar to that of ''Allosaurus'' and indicated that it likely would have preyed upon medium-sized dinosaurs such as stegosaurs by using its blade-like teeth to inflict massive, fatal wounds. The skeleton of ''Sinraptor hepingensis'' (formerly referred to '' Yangchuanosaurus'') is on display at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Zigong, China. Sinraptor size

Pathology

Sinraptor dongi ''Sinraptor'' is a genus of metriacanthosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic. The name ''Sinraptor'' comes from the Latin prefix "Sino", meaning Chinese, and "raptor" meaning robber. The specific name ''dongi'' honours Dong Zhiming. ...

'' skull specimen IVPP 10600 exhibits "a variety of gently curving tooth drags or gouges, shallow, circular punctures and one fully penetrating lesion." One rib was broken and healed via telescoping of its

capitular shaft capitulum (plural capitula) may refer to: *the Latin word for chapter ** an index or list of chapters at the head of a gospel manuscript ** a short reading in the Liturgy of the Hours *** derived from which, it is the Latin for the assembly known ...

.Molnar, R. E., 2001, Theropod paleopathology: a literature survey: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, p. 337-363.

References

External links

The original Chinese text of Gao (1992)'s description of ''Yangchuanosaurus hepingensis'', with pictures.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q311284 Metriacanthosaurids Oxfordian life Late Jurassic dinosaurs of Asia Jurassic China Fossils of China Paleontology in Xinjiang Fossil taxa described in 1993 Taxa named by Philip J. Currie Taxa named by Zhao Xijin