''Leptoptilos lüi'' is an extinct species of large-bodied Leptoptilini

stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...

that existed during the

Middle Pleistocene The Chibanian, widely known by its previous designation of Middle Pleistocene, is an age in the international geologic timescale or a stage in chronostratigraphy, being a division of the Pleistocene Epoch within the ongoing Quaternary Period. The ...

. Along with '' Aegypius jinniushanensis'', ''L. lüi'' is one of several new species of extinct birds discovered at

Jinniushan Jinniushan () is a Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropological site, dating to around 260,000 BP, most famous for its archaic hominin fossils. The site is located near Yingkou, Liaoning, China. Several new species of extinct birds were also discovere ...

, Liaoning, China. The extinct stork is named after Professor Zun-e Lü. Extant members of the genus ''Leptoptilos'' are today found only found in the African and Asian tropics. ''L. lüi'' is the only member of ''Leptoptilos'' from the Pleistocene so far to have been discovered outside of its modern range.

Description

''L. lüi'' is one of the largest ''Leptoptilos'' on record and might be larger than '' Leptoptilos titan'' and ''

Leptoptilos robustus ''Leptoptilos robustus'' (from reek: thin, slender+ reek: soft featherand atin: strong is an extinct species of large-bodied stork belonging to the genus '' Leptoptilos'' that lived on the island of Flores in Indonesia during the Pleistocen ...

''. The

humerus The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a roun ...

and

proximal phalanx The phalanges (singular: ''phalanx'' ) are digital bones in the hands and feet of most vertebrates. In primates, the thumbs and big toes have two phalanges while the other digits have three phalanges. The phalanges are classed as long bones. ...

are longer and more robust than those of any other ''Leptoptilos'' on record. With very long wings, ''L. lüi'' was probably a good flyer that mainly relied on gliding and soaring on the thermal air currents available then, as the climate conditions in the region during the Middle Pleistocene was a lot warmer and more humid. ''L. lüi'' most likely relied on scavenging from Pleistocene megafauna for the bulk of its food source. The disappearance of Pleistocene megafauna and climate change are likely the primary causes of its extinction.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Leptoptilos Pleistocene birds Extinct animals of China Fossil taxa described in 2012 {{Ciconiiformes-stub