hindlimbs
Rear walking appendages
Hindlimbs are the rear legs of an animal, as distinguished from forelimbs.
The term appears mainly in zoological and veterinary contexts: The frog's powerful hindlimbs enable impressive leaps.
In discussions of evolution, hindlimbs often figure in descriptions of how certain species transitioned from four-legged to two-legged locomotion.
Upper leg bone
- tibiaMain lower leg bone
- fibulaOuter lower leg bone
- patellaTriangular bone covering knee
- pelvisBony basin at waist
phalanges · metatarsals · tarsals · calcaneus · talus · quadriceps · hamstrings · gluteus
Swiftest quadruped gait
- trotPace between walk, canter
- canterModerate equine gait
- jumpPropel oneself airborne
- leapSudden springing movement
bound · hop · kick · sprint · run · stride · walk · propulsion
Four-limbed vertebrate animal
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- vestigialReduced, without current function
- bipedalismWalking on two limbs
- whaleHuge sea mammal
snake · atavism · homology · vertebrate · amphibian · reptile · mammal · fossil
femur
Upper leg bone
pelvis · phalanges · metatarsals · tarsals · calcaneus · talus · quadriceps · hamstrings · gluteus · adductor
gallop
Swiftest quadruped gait
leap · bound · hop · kick · sprint · run · stride · walk · propulsion · thrust
tetrapod
Four-limbed vertebrate animal
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- vestigialReduced, without current function
- bipedalismWalking on two limbs
whale · snake · atavism · homology · vertebrate · amphibian · reptile · mammal · fossil · locomotor