Fossil fishes from the Miocene La Venta fauna of the Magdalena River Valley, Colombia, are
identified as Colossoma macropomum (Characidae), a living species from the Orinoco and
Amazon basins. The fossils document a long and conservative history for a species that is
highly specialized for feeding on streamside plants. The phylogenetically advanced position
of Colossoma in the subfamily Serrasalminae implies that six related genera and other
higher characid taxa originated well before 15 million years ago. This discovery also …

Fossil fishes from the Miocene La Venta fauna of the Magdalena River Valley, Colombia, are
identified as Colossoma macropomum (Characidae), a living species from the Orinoco and
Amazon basins. The fossils document a long and conservative history for a species that is
highly specialized for feeding on streamside plants. The phylogenetically advanced position
of Colossoma in the subfamily Serrasalminae implies that six related genera and other
higher characid taxa originated well before 15 million years ago. This discovery also …