Sinosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sinosaurus |
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| Reconstructed skeleton at Museo delle Scienze di Trento | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | Tetanurae |
| Genus: | †Sinosaurus Young, 1940 |
| Type species | |
| †Sinosaurus triassicus Young, 1940
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| Synonyms | |
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Sinosaurus (say "Sy-no-SAWR-us") means "Chinese lizard." It was a type of meat-eating dinosaur called a theropod. This dinosaur lived a very long time ago, during the Early Jurassic Period. That was about 201 to 196 million years ago! Its bones, called fossils, have been found in China.
Sinosaurus walked on two legs, just like a bird or a human. This is called being bipedal. It was a carnivore, meaning it hunted and ate other animals. This dinosaur was quite big, growing to be about 5.6 meters (18 feet) long. That's longer than a car!
Contents
What Was Sinosaurus?
Sinosaurus belonged to a group of dinosaurs called tetanurans. This group includes many famous meat-eating dinosaurs like T. rex and Allosaurus. Tetanurans are known for having stiff tails, which helped them balance when they ran.
Where Did Sinosaurus Live?
The fossils of Sinosaurus were first found in China. Specifically, they were discovered in the Lufeng Formation in Yunnan province. This area is famous for its many dinosaur fossils from the Early Jurassic Period.
What Did Sinosaurus Eat?
As a carnivore, Sinosaurus would have hunted other animals for food. Its sharp teeth and strong jaws were perfect for catching and eating prey. During the Early Jurassic, there were many plant-eating dinosaurs that Sinosaurus might have hunted, such as the long-necked Yunnanosaurus.
Discovery and Naming
The first Sinosaurus fossils were found in 1940. They were described by a scientist named Yang Zhongjian, who is also known as C.C. Young. He gave the dinosaur its name, "Chinese lizard," because it was found in China.
Different Types of Sinosaurus?
For a while, some scientists thought that another dinosaur called Dilophosaurus sinensis might actually be a type of Sinosaurus. However, most experts now agree that Sinosaurus and Dilophosaurus were different, even though they looked a bit similar. Scientists are always learning more about dinosaurs as new fossils are found!
Images for kids
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Frontal view of mounted skeleton cast.
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Skull showing notch.
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Restoration showing dental abnormality based on ZLJT01.
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Drawing of a Sinosaurus feeding on a Yunnanosaurus
See also
In Spanish: Sinosaurus para niños
