Carina Hoorn is a paleoecologist who studied geology and holds a PhD from the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and an MSc in Science Communication (Imperial College, London). Currently she is liaised to the University of Amsterdam and her main research interests are Amazonia, the Himalayas, Tibet, and the coastal lagoons of Oman. Frank Wesselingh is a molluscan palaeontologist who studied geology at the Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and holds a PhD from the University of Turku (Finland). Frank works at Naturalis, the Natural History Museum in Leiden (The Netherlands), and his research interests are fossil molluscan faunas of long-lived lakes, the North Sea Basin and the Indo-West Pacific.

"The volume edited by Hoorn & Wesselingh is a must read for everyone studying geology and palaeontology of Amazonia . . . Therefore, the reviewer feels it necessary to recommended this volume strongly for all specialists in Cenozoic palaeoenvironments." (Zentralblatt fur Geologie und Palaontologie, 1 January 2011) "In this comprehensive book, a wealth of detailed information integrates what we know of geological and climatic processes and the evolution of the tremendous biodiversity of the Amazonian region . . . This book will be a vital reference for Amazonian researchers and aficionados for many years to come. Current Amazonian researchers and any student contemplating graduate study in Amazonian geology, paleontology, phylogeography, or evolution should read this volume from cover to cover." (The Quarterly Review of Biology, 1 June 2011)"Recommenced. Academic audiences, upper-division undergraduates." (Choice, October 2010)

• Dedication to Thomas van der Hammen viiList of contributors ixPrologue xiiThomas van der Hammen1 Introduction: Amazonia, landscape and species evolution 1Carina Hoorn and Frank P. WesselinghPart I Tectonic processes as driving mechanisms for palaeogeographical and palaeoenvironmental evolution in Amazonia2 Geological evolution of the Amazonian Craton 9Salomon B. Kroonenberg and Emond W.F. de Roever3 The Paleozoic Solimões and Amazonas basins and the Acre foreland basin of Brazil 29Joaquim Ribeiro Wanderley-Filho, Jaime Fernandes Eiras, Paulo Roberto da Cruz Cunha and Paulus H. van der Ven4 Tectonic history of the Andes and sub-Andean zones: implications for the development of the Amazon drainage basin 38Andres Mora, Patrice Baby, Martin Roddaz, Mauricio Parra, Stéphane Brusset, Wilber Hermoza and Nicolas Espurt5 Cenozoic sedimentary evolution of the Amazonian foreland basin system 61Martin Roddaz, Wilber Hermoza, Andres Mora, Patrice Baby, Mauricio Parra, Frédéric Christophoul, Stéphane Brusset and Nicolas Espurt6 The Nazca Ridge and uplift of the Fitzcarrald Arch: implications for regional geology in northern South America 89Nicolas Espurt, Patrice Baby, Stéphane Brusset, Martin Roddaz, Wilber Hermoza and Jocelyn BarbarandPart II Cenozoic Depositional Systems in Amazonia7 The Amazonian Craton and its influence on past fluvial systems (Mesozoic-Cenozoic, Amazonia) 103Carina Hoorn, Martin Roddaz, Rodolfo Dino, Emilio Soares, Cornelius Uba, Diana Ochoa-Lozano and Russell Mapes8 The development of the Amazonian mega-wetland (Miocene; Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia) 123Carina Hoorn, Frank P. Wesselingh, Jussi Hovikoski and Javier Guerrero9 Marine influence in Amazonia: evidence from the geological record 143Jussi Hovikoski, Frank P. Wesselingh, Matti Räsänen, Murray Gingras and Hubert B. Vonhof10 Megafan environments in northern South America and their impact on Amazon Neogene aquatic ecosystems 162M. Justin Wilkinson, Larry G. Marshall, John G. Lundberg and Mikhail H. Kreslavsky11 Long-term landscape development processes in Amazonia 185Georg Irion and Risto KalliolaPart III Amazonian Climate, Past and Present12 Climate variation in Amazonia during the Neogene and the Quaternary 201Hubert B. Vonhof and Ron J.G. Kaandorp13 Modelling the response of Amazonian climate to the uplift of the Andean mountain range 211Pierre Sepulchre, Lisa C. Sloan and Frédéric Fluteau14 Modern Andean rainfall variation during ENSO cycles and its impact on the Amazon drainage basin 223Bodo Bookhagen and Manfred R. StreckerPart IV Cenozoic Development of Terrestrial and Aquatic Biota: Insights from the Fossil Record15 A review of Tertiary mammal faunas and birds from western Amazonia 245Francisco Ricardo Negri, Jean Bocquentin-Villanueva, Jorge Ferigolo and Pierre-Olivier Antoine16 Neogene crocodile and turtle fauna in northern South America 259Douglas Riff, Pedro Seyferth R. Romano, Gustavo Ribeiro Oliveira and Orangel A. Aguilera17 The Amazonian Neogene fish fauna 281John G. Lundberg, Mark H. Sabaj Pérez, Wasila M. Dahdul and Orangel A. Aguilera18 Amazonian aquatic invertebrate faunas (Mollusca, Ostracoda) and their development over the past 30 million years 302Frank P. Wesselingh and Maria-Inês F. Ramos19 The origin of the modern Amazon rainforest: implications of the palynological and palaeobotanical record 317Carlos Jaramillo, Carina Hoorn, Silane A.F. Silva, Fatima Leite, Fabiany Herrera, Luis Quiroz, Rodolfo Dino and Luzia Antonioli20 Biotic development of Quaternary Amazonia: a palynological perspective 335Hermann Behling, Mark Bush and Henry HooghiemstraPart V Modern Perspectives on the Origin of Amazonian Biota21 Contribution of current and historical processes to patterns of tree diversity and composition of the Amazon 349Hans ter Steege, ATDN (Amazon Tree Diversity Network: collective author) and RAINFOR (The Amazon Forest Inventory Network: collective author)22 Composition and diversity of northwestern Amazonian rainforests in a geoecological context 360Joost F. Duivenvoorden and Alvaro J. Duque23 Diversification of the Amazonian flora and its relation to key geological and environmental events: a molecular perspective 373R. Toby Pennington and Christopher W. Dick24 Molecular studies and phylogeography of Amazonian tetrapods and their relation to geological and climatic models 386Alexandre Antonelli, Adrián Quijada-Mascareñas, Andrew J. Crawford, John M. Bates, Paúl M. Velazco and Wolfgang Wüster25 Molecular signatures of Neogene biogeographical events in the Amazon fish fauna 405Nathan R. Lovejoy, Stuart C. Willis and James S. AlbertPart VI Synthesis26 On the origin of Amazonian landscapes and biodiversity: a synthesis 421Frank P. Wesselingh, Carina Hoorn, Salomon B. Kroonenberg, Alexandre Antonelli, John G. Lundberg, Hubert B. Vonhof and Henry HooghiemstraIndex 433