Biogeographical significance of nothern extraprovincial fishes in the Pliocene of Ecuador

The biogeographical relationships of a Pliocene (Globigerinoides fistulosus Zone) fish fauna are described. The data here presented show that the Ecuadorian fish fauna has a precise Panamic identity already in the Pliocene. Several (15) northern extraprovincial guests of Californian origin have been identified. The presence of Californian taxa in the Pliocene of Ecuador suggests the existence of faunal relationships between these two areas. The analysis of the California fossil record reveals that the faunal exchange occurred only via north-south. Two dispersal mechanisms have been pointed out by the authors: (1) the flow at lower latitudes of a branch of the California Current, and (2) the activation of coastal upwelling cells beginning from California area. © 2002 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved