Pivot joint Pivot joint In animal anatomy, a pivot joint (trochoid joint, rotary joint, lateral ginglymus) is a type of synovial joint. In pivot joints, the axis of a convex articular surface is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bone. According to one classification system, a pivot joint like the other synovial joint —the hinge joint has one degree of freedom. Note that the degrees of freedom of a joint is not the same as the same as joint's range of motion. Pivot joints allow for rotation, which can be external (for example when rotating an arm outward), or internal (as
Flying and gliding animals Flying and gliding animals A number of animals have evolved aerial locomotion, either by powered flight or by gliding. Flying and gliding animals ("volant" animals) have evolved separately many times, without any single ancestor. Flight has evolved at least four times, in the insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats. Gliding has evolved on many more occasions. Usually the development is to aid canopy animals in getting from tree to tree, although there are other possibilities. Gliding, in particular, has evolved among rainforest animals, especially in the rainforests in Asia (most especially Borneo) where the trees are tall and widely spaced. Several