The Amazonian rainforest is arguably the most species-rich terrestrial ecosystem in the
world, yet the timing of the origin and evolutionary causes of this diversity are a matter of …

We review geological evidence on the origin of the modern transcontinental Amazon River,
and the paleogeographic history of riverine connections among the principal sedimentary …

The fish faunas of continental South and Central America constitute one of the greatest
concentrations of aquatic diversity on Earth, consisting of about 10 percent of all living …

The distribution of plant species, the species compositions of different sites, and the factors
that affect them in tropical rain forests are not well understood. The main hypotheses are that …

Recent phylogenetic studies have revealed the major role played by the uplift of the Andes
in the extraordinary diversification of the Neotropical flora. These studies, however, have …

Vegetation on sandy soils, ranging from open grasslands and shrublands to closed‐canopy,
thin‐trunked forests, can be found in patches throughout the Amazon. Despite variation in …

Today, 93 percent of freshwater drainage off South America runs into the Atlantic. South
America's drainage pattern was shaped by its persistent Guyana and Brazilian continental …

New data from Neogene strata in northern South America suggest that Miocene tectonism in
the northeastern Andes was responsible for the genesis of the Amazon River and changes …

Andean orogeny is considered as one of the most important events for the development of
current plant diversity in South America. We compare available phylogenetic studies and …

On the basis of paleontological content (vertebrates and palynology) and facies analysis
from river banks, road cuts, and three wells, we have assigned the uppermost levels of the …