#sinraptor

Januaraptor 25: Sinraptor dongi

just a doodle today, based on the (incredibly complete) sinraptor holotype!

genus: sinraptor

a carnivore known for its distinctly elongated skull, its a solid and versatile vivosaur even at low ranks and will eventually learn inflame allowing its attacks to become stronger

Detailed sketch of the metriacanthosaurid Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus from the Middle Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan. This theropod was described last year from the partial skeletons of two individuals, as well as isolated teeth and a fork. The dinosaur differs from its close relatives in the strong development of the postorbital protuberance, which is covered with a horny case or large scales during its lifetime. The approximate length of Alpkarakush is 7-8 meters. Histology of the long bones showed that the holotype was a sub-adult individual at least 17 years old. The second specimen was smaller and younger. The generic name of the predator comes from the name of the mythical bird from the Kyrgyz epic "Manas". Alpkarakush shared Jurassic Central Asia with a diverse fauna, which included, among others, sauropods and stegosaurs, as well as late temnospondyls.

[ S-Raptor ]

Sinraptor is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 160 million years ago. Its name combines the Latin prefix "Sino," meaning Chinese, and "raptor," meaning robber, reflecting its discovery in China. Despite its name, Sinraptor is not closely related to dromaeosaurids like Velociraptor but is instead classified as a metriacanthosaurid carnosaur, distantly related to Allosaurus. The genus includes two species: Sinraptor dongi, the type species, and Sinraptor hepingensis, though the latter's classification remains debated among paleontologists.

The holotype specimen of Sinraptor dongi was unearthed in 1987 during a joint Chinese-Canadian expedition to the Shishugou Formation in northwestern China. Standing nearly 3 meters tall and measuring roughly 7.6 meters in length, Sinraptor was a formidable predator. Its blade-like teeth suggest it preyed on medium-sized dinosaurs, such as stegosaurs, inflicting massive wounds. The discovery of Sinraptor has provided valuable insights into the early radiation of carnosaurs during the Jurassic period.