Topographically complex regions on land and in the oceans feature hotspots of biodiversity
that reflect geological influences on ecological and evolutionary processes. Over geologic …

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

Abstract The Neotropical region (tropical America) is the most species rich region on Earth.
Several causes have been proposed to explain this extraordinary biodiversity, which may be …

The origin of extant neotropical biodiversity has been a controversial topic since the time of
Darwin. In this review, I discuss the timing of, and potential driving factors associated with …

This paper and this issue attempt to address how, when and why the phenomenal c.
100,000 species of seed plants in tropical America (the Neotropics) arose. It is increasingly …

The exceptional levels of biodiversity found today in the American tropics are the outcome of
tens of millions of years of evolution, shaped by the tumultuous geological history of the …

This review explores the evolution of extant South American tropical biomes, focusing on
when and why they developed. Tropical vegetation experienced a radical transformation …

Abstract Late Cenozoic (and especially Quaternary) fluvial deposits and related landforms
provide valuable information about landscape evolution, not just in terms of changing …

Eight ecosystems that were present in the Cretaceous about 100 Ma (million years ago) in
the New World eventually developed into the 12 recognized for the modern Earth. Among …

Species composition in the present-day Amazonian heartland has an imprint of past marine
influence. The exact nature, timing and extent of this marine influence, however, are largely …