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 vertebrate species.
Historical Biogeography of Neotropical
Freshwater Fishes explores the
evolutionary origins of this unique
ecosystem. The chapters address central
themes in the study of tropical
biodiversity: why is the Amazon basin
home to so many distinct evolutionary
lineages? What roles do ecological
specialization, speciation, and
extinction play in the formation of
regional assemblages? How do dispersal
barriers contribute to isolation and
diversification? Focusing on whole
faunas rather than individual taxonomic
groups, this volume shows that the
area's high regional diversity is not
the result of recent diversification in
lowland tropical rainforests. Rather, it
is the product of species accumulating
over tens of millions of years and
across a continental arena.