The Cocinetas Basin of Colombia provides a valuable window into the geological and paleontological history of northern South America during the Neogene. Two major findings provide new insights into the Neogene history of this Cocinetas Basin: (1) a formal re-description of the Jimol and Castilletes formations, including a revised contact; and (2) chronostratigraphy presented here provides the necessary background information to explore the complete evolutionary and biogeographic significance of the excellent fossil record of the Cocinetas Basin.

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The loricariid catfish genus Dolichancistrus is reviewed and four species recognized. Species of Dolichancistrus are distinguished from each other by the degree of development of the pectoral-fin spine, the form of the distal margin of the pelvic fin, the relative size and form of the cheek plates, the pattern of odontodes along the margin of the snout, the presence versus absence of a buccal papilla at the premaxillary symphysis, and the relative lengths of the anal-versus pelvic-spines. Dolichancistrus atratoensis is known from the río Atrato system and the río Cubarradó on the Pacific versant of Colombia; D. carnegiei occurs in the eastern río Magdalena basin in the departments of Boyacá and Santander, Colombia; D. cobrensis inhabits southern tributaries of the Lago Maracaibo basin in Colombia and Venezuela along with some highland rivers of the Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuela draining into the río Orinoco system; and D. fuesslii is known from the Andean piedmont portions of the río Meta basin in the western río Orinoco system. Pseudancistrus pediculatus is considered a junior synonym of Ancistrus fuesslii. Chaetostomus setosus previously assigned to Dolichancistrus, was found to lack features characteristic of its putative congeners and is rather more closely related to other members of Chaetostoma group. Consequently, the species is herein considered as incertae sedis within that group. Dolichancistrus is diagnosed, a key is provided to the members of the genus, and diagnoses and redescriptions are provided for all of the recognized species.Se presenta una revisión del género Dolichancistrus y se reconocen cuatro especies válidas. Las especies de Dolichancistrus se distinguen entre sí a partir del grado de desarrollo de la espina pectoral, la forma del margen distal de la aleta pélvica, el tamaño relativo y la forma de las placas operculares, el patrón de odontoides a lo largo del margen del hocico, la presencia versus ausencia de papila bucal en la sínfisis de las premaxilas, y las longitudes relativas de las espinas anal y pélvicas. Dolichancistrus atratoensis es conocido del sistema del río Atrato y del río Cubarradó sobre la vertiente Pacífico de Colombia; D. carnegiei se encuentra en la vertiente Oriental de la cuenca del río Magdalena en los departamentos de Boyacá y Santander, Colombia; D. cobrensis habita los tributarios sureños de la cuenca del Lago Maracaibo en Colombia y Venezuela así como en algunos ríos de alta montaña de la Cordillera de Mérida en Venezuela drenando hacia el sistema del río Orinoco; y D. fuesslii es conocido de porciones pedimontanas Andinas de la cuenca del río Meta en la región occidental del sistema del río Orinoco. Pseudancistrus pediculatus es considerado un sinónimo junior de Ancistrus fuesslii. Chaetostomus setosus, una especie previamente considerada dentro del género Dolichancistrus, carece de los caracteres diagnósticos de sus congéneres putativos y es considerada como más cercanamente relacionada con otros miembros del grupo Chaetostoma. Consecuentemente, esta esp...

Chaetostoma joropo n. sp. is described from the piedmont of the Orinoco River drainage in Colombia. The new species has been long confused with Chaetostoma milesi, a species with similar overall morphology and color pattern that is restricted to the Magdalena-Cauca River Basin. We diagnose the new species on the basis of morphology as well as a precise description of the color pattern. Chaetostoma joropo n. sp. is also easily distinguished from C. formosae the most similar species and other species inhabiting the Orinoco River drainage in Colombia. Data on ontogenetic variation and sexual dimorphism are provided, as well as natural history notes and remarks on the usage of the name Chaetostoma milesi for specimens from both the Orinoco and Magdalena-Cauca drainages. A discussion on the usage of the name Chaetostoma platyrhynchus is also provided given its current instability in the literature.

A new species of Farlowella is described from El Carmen de Chucurí in the Departamento de Santander, western flank of the Cordillera Oriental, río Magdalena Basin, Colombia. Farlowella yarigui n. sp. differs from its congeners in lateral body plate morphology, abdominal cover, cephalic hypertrophied odontodes, and details of coloration. This is the first verifiable record of the genus in the Magdalena drainage. Aspects of natural history and implications of this finding are provided concerning the state of knowledge of the fishes of the río Magdalena Basin. Previous records of Farlowella gracilis in the río Cauca basin are examined and herein considered erroneous, rendering the new species the only representative of the genus in the Magdalena-Cauca system. A key to species of Farlowella from Colombia is provided.

Chaetostoma formosae sp. nov. is described from piedmont tributaries of the upper río Meta on the Cordillera Oriental in Colombia. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the presence of an elongate unbranched anal-fin ray with two posterior dermal ridges in mature males, the presence of strongly recurved cheek odontodes, the presence of a parieto-supraoccipital dermal keel, the posterior margin of the pelvic-fin strongly projected and angulate in shape in mature males, and by details of coloration. The new species belongs to an informal monophyletic group herein called the Chaetostoma anale species group, along with two additional species, C. anale and C. jegui, from Colombia and Brazil respectively, based on an apomorphic modification of the anal fin in mature males.

Freshwater fossil fish faunas have long been used to infer past drainage connections, given that they are bounded by physical freshwater barriers. Here we study a middle Miocene (15.0–15.5 Ma) freshwater fish fossil fauna (Makaraipao) from the Castilletes Formation in northern Colombia, nowadays west of the Andes. We record the presence of lungfishes (Lepidosiren), pacus (Mylossoma and Piaractus), armoured catfishes (Callichthyidae), and red‐tail catfishes (Phractocephalus). Extant members of all those groups (except the Callichthyidae, due to lack of taxonomic resolution) are found in Amazonian faunas east of the Andes and are absent from faunas west of the Andes, indicating that the riverine systems of the Guajira Peninsula were connected to Amazonia during the middle Miocene. The similarity of La Venta (west of the Andes) and Rio Acre (east of the Andes) fish faunas during the late Miocene further indicates that the northern Andean uplift was not a complete barrier at least until c. 11 Ma. However, there is a continental‐wide structuring of the Miocene fish faunas that is also found in the extant faunas, suggesting that other factors such as ecological conditions, in addition to the uplift of the Andes, have shaped the biogeographic evolution of South American fish faunas.

A new species of Farlowella is described from eighteen specimens collected in the upper rio Xingu basin, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The new species is a member of the Farlowella nattereri species-group and can be distinguished from other members of the group, with exception of Farlowella jauruensis, by exhibiting a proportionally shorter snout. The new species is distinguished from F. jauruensis by differences on the cleithrum and plate morphology, by counts of pelvic and caudal-fin rays, and by the color pattern of the snout. The discovery of new lots of F. jauruensis, a species so far known only from the holotype, is also herein reported. This discovery represents a considerable expansion of the geographic distribution and of the number of known specimens of F. jauruensis. Uma nova espécie de Farlowella é descrita de dezoito espécimes da bacia do alto rio Xingu, estado do Mato Grosso, Brasil. A nova espécie é membro do grupo de espécies da Farlowella nattereri, e é diagnosticada de outros membros deste grupo, com exceção de Farlowella jauruensis, por apresentar um focinho proporcionalmente mais curto. A nova espécie se diferencia de F. jauruensis por diferenças morfológicas do cleitro e de placas, pelas contagens de raios da nadadeira pélvica e caudal, e pelo padrão de colorido do focinho. A descoberta de novos lotes de F. jauruensis, uma espécie até então conhecida apenas pelo holótipo, também é aqui reportada. Esta descoberta representa uma expansão considerável da distribuição geográfica e do número de espécimes conhecidos de F. jauruensis.