Amazonia (defined herein as the Amazon basin) is home to the greatest concentration of
biodiversity on Earth, providing unique genetic resources and ecological functions that …

Over the last 25 years, researchers, mostly paleontologists, have developed a system of
rank-free, phylogenetically defined names for the primary clades of turtles. As these names …

Several dolphin lineages have independently invaded freshwater systems. Among these,
the evolution of the South Asian river dolphin Platanista and its relatives (Platanistidae) …

Turtles have a highly modified body plan, including a rigid shell that constrains postcranial
anatomy. Skull morphology and neck mobility may therefore be key to ecological …

Abstract The Pliocene–Pleistocene transition in the Neotropics is poorly understood despite
the major climatic changes that occurred at the onset of the Quaternary. The San Gregorio …

Despite its important position close to the Isthmus of Panama, and abundance of fossil
localities, the palaeoenvironment of the Falcón Basin in northwestern Venezuela has been …

Recently published time-calibrated molecular phylogenies have brought to light a large-
scale biotic interchange between the Western and Eastern Amazon basins, associated with …

Overkill of large mammals is recognized as a key driver of Pleistocene megafaunal
extinctions in the Americas and Australia. While this phenomenon primarily affected mega …

The Maevarano Formation in northwestern Madagascar has yielded a series of exceptional
fossils over the course of the last three decades that provide important insights into the …

Organisms display a considerable variety of body sizes and shapes, and macroevolutionary
investigations help to understand the evolutionary dynamics behind such variations. Turtles …