Aim The latitudinal diversity gradient of increasing species richness from poles to equator is one of the most striking and pervasive spatial patterns of biodiversity. Climate appears to have been key to the formation of the latitudinal diversity gradient, but the processes through which climate shaped species richness remain unclear. We tested predictions of the time for speciation, carrying capacity and diversification rate...

We explored the macroevolutionary dynamics of miniaturisation in New World anchovies by integrating a time‐calibrated phylogeny, geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods. We found that the paedomorphic species Amazonsprattus scintilla occupies a novel region of shape space, while the dwarf species Anchoviella manamensis has an overall shape consistent with other anchovies. We found that miniaturisation did...

Aim The Guiana Shield region exhibits extraordinary topography that includes sheer, flat‐topped mountains (tepuis) atop an upland platform. Rivers of the eastern Pakaraima Mountains descend to Atlantic coastal lowlands, often traversing spectacular rapids and waterfalls. For fish species distributed in both uplands and lowlands, it is unclear whether these rapids and waterfalls present population or biogeographical boundaries....

Aim The South American fish fauna is renowned for its extraordinary diversity. The majority of this diversity is restricted to few major clades that have ancient associations to freshwater habitats. However, at a higher taxonomic level, the South American ichthyofauna is enriched by an extraordinary number of marine derived lineages – lineages that are endemic to freshwaters, but derived from marine ancestors. Here, we test pa...