Sinosaurus

Type Species: Sinosaurus sinensis

Classification: Dinosauria - Saurischia – Theropoda – Tetanurae

Time Period: Early Jurassic

Location: China

Diet: Carnivore

The medium-sized predatory theropod Sinosaurus lived 201-190 million years ago during the Hettangian and Sinemurian stages of Early Jurassic southern China. It bore a striking resemblance to the North American Dilophosaurus: it could grow up to eighteen feet in length, and both Sinosaurus and Dilophosaurus had dual crests atop their skulls. Sinosaurus is the only ‘dilophosaurid’ known from a complete braincase. Sinosaurus’ skull had a deep notch between the premaxilla and maxilla (bones of the upper jaw), which scientists speculate was used to house jaw muscles; if so, this meant that Sinosaurus had a terribly ferocious bite force. Some paleontologists have speculated that the premaxilla was covered in a narrow, hooked beak used to puncture and tear into the flesh of its prey. The function of the dual crest has been debated, as is the case with all dilophosaurids. Because it was relatively flimsy and would break in heated combat, it most likely played a role of sexual display or species recognition (though one scientist speculated, in the case of Sinosaurus, that it was used to ‘prop open’ the prey’s abdominal cavity while the carnivore rooted around). Sinosaurus’ feet were shaped like those of modern vultures and may have been used to help it feed on large-bodied sauropodomorphs.