In 1824, British paleontologist John Buckland first discovered the carnivorous Megalosaurus, thus ushering in the era of the ferocious and brutal carnivorous dinosaur kingdom. The discovery of *Sinraptor* allows for a deeper understanding of previously unknown secrets of theropod dinosaurs, making it of significant academic importance. Researchers have proposed incorporating *Yongchuanosaurus hepingensis*, discovered in Zigong, Sichuan, into the genus *Sinraptor*, making it the first species of this genus, namely *Sinraptor hepingensis*.
The Late Jurassic was the most prosperous period for carnivorous sauropods. In my country, contemporaneous carnivorous sauropods discovered include *Sinraptor*, *Yongchuanosaurus*, and *Sichuanosaurus*. The latter three form their own family, the Sinoraptoridae. The genus *Sinraptor* contains two species: *Sinraptordongi* and *Sinraptorhepingensis*. *Sinraptordongi* was excavated in the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang, while *Sinraptorhepingensis* was discovered in Heping Township, Zigong City, Sichuan Province, indicating that *Sinraptor* was once widely distributed.
The skull of *Sinraptor* is remarkably well-preserved, characterized by large air cavities in the cheekbones and palatine bones, a relatively long intertemporal bone that includes the postorbital bone. *Sinraptor* is more primitive than *Allosaurus* and more closely related to *Yongchuanosaurus*. Both species of *Sinraptor* were similar in size, around 7 meters.
The discovery of *Sinraptor dongi* is one of the major achievements of collaborative research between Chinese and Canadian paleontologists. This dinosaur was discovered in the Shishugou Formation of the Junggar Basin, dating to the Late Jurassic period. Its fossils were preserved in very hard surrounding rock, requiring two years of arduous work by paleontologists in 1987 and 1988 to excavate. It is a remarkably well-preserved skeleton, missing only the forelimbs and some caudal vertebrae. It was jointly studied by Canadian paleontologist Curie and Chinese paleontologist Zhao Xijin, who identified it as a new family, genus, and species. The species name was awarded to Dong Zhiming in memory of his discovery of this dinosaur and his significant contributions to the study of *Yongchuanosaurus*.
Chinese name: Sinoraptor
Latin name: Sinraptor
Era: Early Cretaceous
Fossil origin: Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China
Physical characteristics: 7 meters
Diet: Carnivorous
Type: Theropod
Meaning: Thieves from China
