Mandibulata

Mandibulata; Temporal range:
	The mandibles of a bull ant
	Life restoration of Odaraia, an early mandibulate belonging to Hymenocarina with mandibles present near the mouth
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Mandibulata; de Clairville, 1798
Subdivisions
incertae sedis (including possible stem-group mandibulates)
	†Acheronauta?; †Aquilonifer; †Bradoriida?; †Cambropachycopidae?; †Cambropodus?; †Captopodus?; †Cascolus?; †Martinssonia?; †Papiliomaris?; †Parioscorpio?; †Rhyniognatha?; †Skaracarida?; †Tanazios?; †Marrellomorpha?; †Thylacocephala?; †Oelandocarididae?; †Musacaris?;

The clade Mandibulata constitutes one of the major subdivisions of the phylum Arthropoda, alongside Chelicerata. Mandibulates include the myriapods (centipedes and millipedes, among others), and the pancrustaceans (including 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 and centipedes, among others) and Pancrustacea (including crustaceans and hexapods, the latter group containing insects). 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.

A number of extinct groups have also been placed in Mandibulata, including Hymenocarina, Euthycarcinoidea, and Fuxianhuiida.

Cladogram after O’Flynn et al, 2023:

Total group

† "Gilled lobopodians" (Pambdelurion, Kerygmachela)

†Opabinia

† Radiodonta (e.g Anomalocaris)

Deuteropoda

	† Kylinxia

	† Fengzhengia

	† Kiisortoqia

	† Bushizheia

Total group

† Megacheira

† Habeliida

	† Mollisonia

	Chelicerata (horseshoe crabs, sea spiders, arachnids, etc)

Chelicerata

	† "Great appendage bivalved forms" (Occacaris, Forfexicaris)

	† Isoxyida

† Artiopoda (inc. Trilobita)

Mandibulata

† Fuxianhuiida

Myriapoda (millipedes, centipedes, etc)

	† Hymenocarina

	Pancrustacea (crustaceans, insects, etc)

Arthropoda