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Sinosaurus

Say it: SINE-oh-SORE-us

Name means: “Chinese lizard”1

Ate: MeatMeat-eating dinosEarly Jurassic

Sinosaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in China during the Early Jurassic. It had a crest on its head like its relative Dilophosaurus, and it was a fast runner that used its long arms and sharp teeth to catch prey.1

Lived

201 to 193 million years ago2

Early Jurassic

Fossils found in

Yunnan Province, China1

Food

Meat1

Length

5.85 m1

estimate from a virtual skeletal mount

Weight

895 kg1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 30 big dogs

as long as 6 dogs nose to tailas long as 32 bananas end to endas heavy as 180 watermelons

How big was Sinosaurus compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Sinosaurus was named by the famous Chinese paleontologist Chung Chien Young in 1940, who is called the 'Father of Chinese Vertebrate Paleontology'.1

Its skull was about 52 centimeters (20 inches) long, similar in size to the skull of Dilophosaurus.1

Sinosaurus had a deep notch in its upper jaw that might have held a narrow, hooked beak for tearing open skin and flesh.1

Its teeth were curved backwards and had fine serrations on both edges, like a steak knife.1

Scientists think Sinosaurus was a fast runner because of its body shape and the ratio of its skull to body length.1

Some fossils of Sinosaurus were originally thought to be from the Triassic period, but they are actually from the Early Jurassic, about 201 to 183 million years ago.1

A nearly complete skeleton of Sinosaurus was once thought to be a species of Dilophosaurus, but scientists later moved it to Sinosaurus.1

AI-made picture of Sinosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Sinosaurus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Sinosaurus

?How big was Sinosaurus?

Sinosaurus was about 5.85 metres (19.2 ft) long and weighed up to 895 kilograms (1,973 lb), based on a 2024 estimate. An earlier estimate suggested about 5.6 metres (18.4 ft) long.1

?What did Sinosaurus eat?

Sinosaurus was a meat-eater, likely hunting or scavenging large animals like prosauropods. It had sharp, serrated teeth and strong jaws for tearing flesh.1

?Did Sinosaurus have feathers?

The sources do not mention feathers on Sinosaurus. So we don't know for sure if it had them.1

?Was Sinosaurus related to Dilophosaurus?

Sinosaurus looked similar to Dilophosaurus and both had crests on their heads, but scientists are not sure if they were closely related. Its exact family tree is still uncertain.1

?When did Sinosaurus live?

Sinosaurus lived during the Early Jurassic Period, about 201 to 183 million years ago. Its fossils were found in China.1 2

?Why did Sinosaurus have a crest?

Scientists don't know for sure. The crest was probably not used for fighting, but it might have been for showing off to other Sinosaurus.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Sinosaurus is the same as Dilophosaurus.

Truth: Sinosaurus looks similar to Dilophosaurus, but scientists are not sure if they are closely related. They are different genera.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Sinosaurus
Named by: Young 19402
Group: Meat-eating dinos
Family / clade: Theropoda2
Classification: Theropoda2
Age of the rocks: 201 to 193 million years (Hettangian / Sinemurian)2
Rock formations: Lufeng2
Countries: China2
Fossil records: 16 in the Paleobiology Database2
Discovery: Sinosaurus was named by Chung Chien Young in 1940 based on a partial skull and teeth found in the Lufeng Formation in Yunnan, China.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether Sinosaurus is closely related to Dilophosaurus or belongs to a different group of theropod dinosaurs.1

Where the facts come from

Sinosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Sinosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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