Morpholoical adaptation in Bat

          What is volant adaptation?

          A few animals exhibit dual adaptive modificatione ----one to explore in air and the other for the terrestrial or for aquatic environment , such a dual adaptation is called volant adaptation .

        State the morpholoical adaptation of bat /chiroperian.

(1) A patagiaum or alar membrane is formed in a bat for flying .

   (i) A thin membrane is extended from the neck to fore limb  by adding it's neck with humerus , radius & ulna ;  by forming inter digital membrane except digit 1 of forelimb and skin extented both side of the body connecting fore limb to hind limb.

   (ii) Except digit 1 and carpals all other bones of fore limb extended in length .

   (iii) Metacarpals of digit 2,3,4& 5 grow in length to hold patagium .

   (iv) Third digit of forelimb is clawed .

    (v) Sternum is modified .

(2) Hind limbs are rotated outwards and knees are directed backward (hence, a bat  cannot walk but crawl on ground) for the volant adaptation .

(3) Tail may or may not be jointed with the interfemoral membrane .If jointed , controls movement during flight .lf free , used as a hook during climbing .

 (4) Modification for ecolocation :

     (I) Cricothyroid muscle is placed inside the larynx to aid phonation and to control orientation pulse frequency .

     (ii)  In bat Nose-leaves , fleshy extention around the nostrils, formed for the sound translocation .