The genus
Leptoptilos was introduced in 1831 by the French naturalist
René Lesson. The genus name combines the
Ancient Greek leptos meaning "delicate" or "slender" with
ptilon meaning "feather". The
type species was subsequently designated as the
greater adjutant by
George Robert Gray. The genus contains three extant species.
Fossils There is an ample
fossil record of this genus. Many fossils members of the genus were much larger than living species, standing as tall as a man, with the earliest being
Leptoptilos falconeri from the
Pliocene of Afro-Eurasia. Giant
Leptoptilos storks survived into the
Late Pleistocene on the Southeast Asian islands of Java (
L. titan) and Flores (
L. robustus). • †
Leptoptilos falconeri (Early to Late Pliocene of south Asia and east Africa) • †
Leptoptilos indicus (Late Pliocene of
Siwalik, India) – formerly
Cryptociconia indica, may be the same as
L. falconeri (Louchart
et al. 2005) • †
Leptoptilos lui (
Middle Pleistocene of
Jinniushan, Liaoning, China) • †
Leptoptilos patagonicus (Puerto Madryn
Late Miocene of
Valdés Peninsula, Argentina) • †
Leptoptilos pliocenicus (Early Pliocene of Odesa, Ukraine and
Urugus, Ethiopia to Late Pliocene of
Koro Toro, Chad and
Olduvai, Tanzania) – includes
L. cf.
falconeri, may be the same as
L. falconeri • †
Leptoptilos richae (Beglia Late Miocene of
Bled ed Douarah, Tunisia, and
Wadi Moghara, Egypt?) • †
Leptoptilos robustus (Pleistocene,
Flores, Indonesia) • †
Leptoptilos titan (Notopuro Middle/Late Pleistocene of
Watualang, Java, Indonesia) • †
Leptoptilos sp. (
Ngorora Formation Late Miocene of
Baringo District, Kenya: Louchart
et al. 2005) †
Leptoptilos siwalicensis from the
Siwalik deposits (Late Miocene? to Late Pliocene) may belong to this genus or to a closely related one (Louchart
et al. 2005). ==References==