Evolutionary trends of the Western Central Atlantic fish faunas and from the Amazon System over the last 23 Ma

Summary

Tropical America was characterized by remarkable paleoceanographic, hydrographic, and paleoenvironmental changes affecting the dynamics of evolutionary trends of marine and freshwater teleostean fishes during the last 23 Ma. The tectonic interaction of Caribbean and South America plates with the Pacific Cocos and Nazca plates resulted in 1) the Miocene-Pliocene progressive closure of the interoceanic Central America Seaway by the uplift of the Isthmus of Panama, 2) the onset of the carbonate platform at the epimarginal equatorial coast, 3) the rise of the Andean cordillera and changes in the South America hydrographic systems, 4) the onset of the Amazon and Orinoco deltas, 5) Miocene marine incursions in northwestern Amazon Basin, and 6) sea level and climate changes. The macroevolutionary responses of demersal fish assemblages affected by these long-termed events generated a remarkable bioprovince mosaic of marine fish diversity (e.g., Sciaenidae, Ophidiidae, Ariidae, Bythitidae, Congridae, Haemulidae, and Sparidae. The radiation of marine-derived species into freshwater habits (e.g., Ariidae, Batrachoididae, Scaenidae, Gobiidae, and Tetraodontidae) and the evolutionary trends and distribution of strictly South American freshwater species (e.g., Serrasalmidae, Loricariidae, Doradidae, and Pimelodidae) will be illustrated and discussed.

Recent publications:

Aguilera, O., et al.., 2020. Paleontological framework from Pirabas Formation (North Brazil) used as potential model for equatorial carbonate platform. Marine Micropaleontology. 154, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marmicro.2019.101813

Aguilera, O., et al.., 2020. Fossil sea catfish (Siluriformes; Ariidae) otoliths and in-skull otoliths from the Neogene of the Western Central Atlantic. Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 101, p. 102619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2020.102619

Aguilera, O., et al.., 2018. First Neogene Proto-Caribbean pufferfish: new evidence for Tetraodontidae radiation. Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 85: 57-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2018.04.017