Sinraptor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sinraptor | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Skeleton of Sinraptor hepingensis
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sinraptor is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic. The name Sinraptor comes from the Latin prefix "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.
 Skeleton of Sinraptor hepingensis, Beijing Museum of Natural History. |
 Skull of Sinraptor hepingensis, Beijing Museum of Natural History. |
Uncovered by Philip J. Currie and Xian Zhao during a joint Chinese/Canadian expedition to the northwestern Chinese desert in 1987. 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 close relatives, and are classified together in the family Sinraptoridae.
[edit] In popular culture
- The skeleton of Sinraptor hepingensis (formerly referred to Yangchuanosaurus) is on display at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, Zigong, China.
- The Dinosaurs of China exhibit is on display at the Miami Museum of Science in Miami Florida. The Chinese museum has allowed the Sinraptor skeleton to visit North America in this display.
