Sinosaurus

Sinosaurus was a medium-sized predatory theropod discovered in the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of Yunnan Province, China. Measuring over five metres long and weighing several hundred kilograms, it was the apex predator of its prehistoric community. Sinosaurus carried a pair of thin, parallel bony crests atop its snout, displaying a striking similarity to the North American Dilophosaurus, with which it was closely related. Its jaws possessed sharp, serrated teeth and a distinct notch between the upper jaw bones, adapted for gripping prey. Sinosaurus preyed upon the early sauropodomorphs and small ornithischians that populated the ancient lake margins and floodplains of southern China. Pathological evidence in one jaw shows it survived significant tooth loss and infection, highlighting its resilience in life.

Like Dilophosaurus, it bore dual cranial crests and was the dominant apex predator of Early Jurassic China.

Where and when

Sinosaurus lived in the Early Jurassic, from 201.3 to 190 million years ago (Sinemurian age). Its remains come from China, in the Lufeng Formation.

The numbers

Length 5.3 m (estimates run from 5 to 5.6 m). Mass about 370 kg. Hip height about 1.6 m. That is 3.1 human-lengths, or 0.47 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

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