Sinraptor was a dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, around 160 million years ago.
The name “Sinraptor” means “Chinese thief,” where “Sino” stands for China and “raptor” means thief or robber.
However, Sinraptor is not closely related to what we often think of as raptors, like Velociraptor. Instead, it belongs to a group of dinosaurs known as carnosaurs, which are distant relatives of Allosaurus.
Sinraptor was quite significant in its family, Metriacanthosauridae, and some older studies even named the family after it.
**Discovery**
Sinraptor was discovered during an expedition in the northwestern desert of China in 1987. It was described by Philip Currie and Zhao Xijin in 1994.
This dinosaur could grow nearly 3 meters tall and could be about 7.6 meters long. The main species of Sinraptor is called Sinraptor dongi. There’s also a second potential species called Sinraptor hepingensis, but some scientists are not sure if it really belongs to Sinraptor or if it’s a different dinosaur altogether.
Sinraptor was estimated to weigh about 1.3 metric tons and could be compared to the size of an Allosaurus. Its teeth were similar to those of Allosaurus, suggesting it likely hunted medium-sized dinosaurs, such as stegosaurs, using its sharp teeth to cause serious wounds.
**Health Issues**
Some fossil remains of Sinraptor show signs of health issues. One specimen had marks on its bones, indicating injuries like tooth scratches and punctures. One of its ribs had a break that had healed over time.
Overall, Sinraptor is an important dinosaur in understanding the diversity of theropods during the Jurassic period.