Mandibulata
| Mandibulata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| An isopod | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Mandibulata de Clairville, 1798 |
| Subgroups | |
Mandibulata is a large group of arthropods including the crustaceans, hexapods, and myriapods. Most of the members in this group have antennae with all species having mandibles (some species only have some as babies though). This clade also includes the extinct order of arthropods Hymenocarina and around 85 - 90% of all alive arthropods. The only arthropods that aren't in this group are the arthropods in the subphylum Chelicerata which includes arachnids, horseshoe crabs, and also sea spiders.
Anatomy
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All of the species in this clade are known for having mandibles, which are the main feature only found in this clade and in no other living or extinct group of arthropods. Arthropod mandibles are different from human mandibles because instead of being a jaw bone, they are a mouth piece used for eating food. Though some species of insects like the stag beetle and the rhinoceros beetle don't use them anymore for eating/chewing, instead the males actually use them for wrestling other males to impress the female stag beetle or to claim some territory.
