Order Leptosomiformes Sharpe 1891 (bird)
Parent taxon: Neornithes according to J. F. Clements et al. 2017
See also del Hoyo et al. 2014
Sister taxa: Aequornithes, Alectromorphae, Cariamiformes, Cathartiformes, Colymbomorphae, Coraciomorphae, Eurypygiformes, Galbuliformes, Lonchodytes pterygius, Mesitornithiformes, Neognathae, Odontognathae, Otidiformes, Palaeognathae, Pelargomorphae, Phoenicopteriformes, Picocoraciae, Pterocliformes
Subtaxa: Leptosomidae Plesiocathartes Waltonavis
Ecology: ground dwelling carnivore
Distribution:
• Quaternary of Madagascar (3 collections)
• Eocene to Oligocene of France (1)
• Eocene of Belgium (1), Germany (1), the United Kingdom (1)
• Paleocene of France (1)
• Cretaceous of Lebanon (1)
Total: 9 collections including 11 occurrences