Sinraptor () is a genus of metriacanthosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Shishugou Formation China. 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,
Discovery and naming
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 Zhao Xijin in 1994.
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 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 close relatives and are classified together in the family Metriacanthosauridae.
name
Sinraptor comes from the
Latin language prefix "Sino", meaning Chinese, and "raptor", meaning robber. The specific name
dongi honours
Dong Zhiming. Despite its name,
Sinraptor is not related to
(often nicknamed "raptors") like
Velociraptor. Instead, it was a
Carnosauria distantly related to
Allosaurus.
Description
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 (such as Jiangjunosaurus junggarensis) by using its blade-like teeth to inflict massive, fatal wounds.
Classification
Sinraptor hepingensis, formerly referred to as
Yangchuanosaurus, is a second species referred to this genus.
However, the identity of this species within
Sinraptor is questioned by other paleontologists,
and the describers of
Alpkarakush included this species within
Yangchuanosaurus based on their phylogenetic analysis in 2024.
Paleopathology
Sinraptor dongi 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.
[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.]
External links
