Mandibulata

Mandibulata; Temporal range: Cambrian Stage 3–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	The mandibles of a bull ant
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Mandibulata
Subdivisions
	†Acheronauta?; †Aquilonifer; †Bradoriida?; †Cambropachycopidae?; †Cambropodus?; †Captopodus?; †Cascolus?; †Euthycarcinoidea; †Fuxianhuiida?; †Hymenocarina; †Martinssonia?; †Musacaris?; Myriapoda; †Oelandocarididae?; Pancrustacea; †Phosphatocopina?; †Rhyniognatha?; †Skaracarida?; †Tanazios?; †Thylacocephala?;

The subphylum Mandibulata constitutes one of the major subdivisions of the phylum Arthropoda, alongside Chelicerata. Mandibulates include the crustaceans, myriapods (centipedes and millipedes), and all true insects. The name "Mandibulata" refers to the mandibles, a modified pair of limbs used in food processing, the presence of which are characteristic of most members of the group.

The mandibulates are divided between the extant groups Myriapoda (millipedes & centipedes, among others) and Pancrustacea (including insects and crustaceans, among others). Molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that the living arthropods are related as shown in the cladogram below. Crustaceans do not form a monophyletic group as insects and other hexapods have evolved from within them.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Arthropoda

Mandibulata

	Pancrustacea (crustaceans and hexapods)

	Myriapoda (centipedes, millipedes, and allies)

Chelicerata (sea spiders, horseshoe crabs, and arachnids)

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