Venkatasuchus

Venkatasuchus is among the few aetosaurs recovered from the region that would later become Gondwana and lends credence to the idea that late Triassic India represented a connective hub between Laurasian and Gondwanan fauna.

The second part of the name utilizes the Greek suffix "suchus", which is derived from the Egyptian deity Sobek and translates to "crocodile".

The anterior bar also features a straight anteriomedial margin which is considered an autapomorphy, a derived trait not seen in any other members of the group.

For example, similar to Desmatosuchus spurensis and Lucasuchus among others, the eminence is not in contact with the back edge of the osteoderm and it is further noted for being offset much further towards the midline than it is in other aetosaurs.

[1] Overall the lateral osteoderms, which are located to the side of the main paramedian row, are described as reduced and horn-like, their convex anterior margin making them appear to curve backwards.

The connection point between the two is strongly flexed, meaning they meet at an acute angle, tho the specific degree of flexion varies within the row.

Traits responsible for these results include the extreme width to length ratio, the narrow weakly raised anterior bar, medial offset of the dorsal eminence and the asymmetrical lateral osteoderms.

Phylogenetic analysis performed as part of the type description suggested that the closest relative of Venkatasuchus may have been Kocurypelta silvestris from the Late Triassic of Poland.

These clusterings of aetosaur diversity overlap with those of metoposaurids and phytosaurs with the exception of the more southern latitudes, though collection bias could be a factor at play.

This may have been highly influenced by the position of India at the time, with the slow breakup of the supercontinent Pangea opening land bridges and removing environmental barriers to allow for the migration of animal groups into the region which was not possible in other parts of the world.

[1] The Lower Dharmaram Formation represents an archosaur dominated environment and in addition to Venkatasuchus was the home to a wide variety of animals.

Two other aetosaurs have been identified from the Dharmaram Formation, the basal paratypothoracin Kuttysuchus and an undescribed species that more closely resembles the American Desmatosuchus.

While archosaurs were plentiful, including groups of biostratigraphic importance like phytosaurs and aetosaurs, animals like metoposaurid temnospondyls and rhynchosaurs are as of yet unknown from the region.