The progression of the atrioventricular canal over time, from its formation to the mature structure. The atrioventricular canal is the part of the heart connecting the atrium to the cardiac ventricle. [ GOC:gr http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14701881 GOC:BHF http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/UBERON_0002087 ZFA:0001315 ]