Mandibles refer to the feeding appendages (or jaws) using which food is ingested. Depending on the type of organism and the prey that has to be captured, the structure of the mandible has evolved over the ages. There are evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships to be considered with regard to common features in the development of mandibles in insects and vertebrates too. This is because several insect and crustacean adult mandibles are built in such a way that food is mainly handled with the lower portion of the jaw. Insect mandibles have evolved in accordance with the type of food or prey different species need to catch. Common food sources for insects include algae,other insects, fish, other plants etc. Insects may pierce the surface of their food and suck out fluids,or graze their food to separate it from mud and ingest it. They can even bite off some portions of their food before ingestion or engulf their food as a whole.Some insects chew leaves and other parts of plants. Their mandibles have evolved accordingly. Vertebrates have a variety of food sources and do not depend on any single trophic level for their survival. The muscles that enable mastication of food move the lower jaw of vertebrate mandibles. In humans, the voice box also moves the mandible. Most vertebrates either engulf their food or shred it. Many have teeth for feeding, and can be either herbivores or carnivores. Octopuses are invertebrates having a clever feeding mechanism. They use their long tentacles to explore crevices for their prey. On capturing their prey, they immediately inject their poisonous saliva to immobilize it, after which they use their beaks to crush and ingest their prey. They mostly eat crabs, mollusks, lobsters etc. If the shell of their prey is too tough to break, they use salivary papilla to drill a pinhole and eat the meat of their prey. Thus, the octopus has evolved a feeding mechanism suitable to it. Solution Mandibles refer to the feeding appendages (or jaws) using which food is ingested. Depending on the type of organism and the prey that has to be captured, the structure of the mandible has evolved over the ages. There are evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships to be considered with regard to common features in the development of mandibles in insects and vertebrates too. This is because several insect and crustacean adult mandibles are built in such a way that food is mainly handled with the lower portion of the jaw. Insect mandibles have evolved in accordance with the type of food or prey different species need to catch. Common food sources for insects include algae,other insects, fish, other plants etc. Insects may pierce the surface of their food and suck out fluids,or graze their food to separate it from mud and ingest it. They can even bite off some portions of their food before ingestion or engulf their food as a whole.Some insects chew leaves and other parts of plants. Their mandibles have evolved accordingly. Vertebrates have.

1. Mandibles refer to the feeding appendages (or jaws) using which food is ingested. Depending on
the type of organism and the prey that has to be captured, the structure of the mandible has
evolved over the ages. There are evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships to be considered
with regard to common features in the development of mandibles in insects and vertebrates too.
This is because several insect and crustacean adult mandibles are built in such a way that food is
mainly handled with the lower portion of the jaw.
Insect mandibles have evolved in accordance with the type of food or prey different species need
to catch. Common food sources for insects include algae,other insects, fish, other plants etc.
Insects may pierce the surface of their food and suck out fluids,or graze their food to separate it
from mud and ingest it. They can even bite off some portions of their food before ingestion or
engulf their food as a whole.Some insects chew leaves and other parts of plants. Their mandibles
have evolved accordingly.
Vertebrates have a variety of food sources and do not depend on any single trophic level for their
survival. The muscles that enable mastication of food move the lower jaw of vertebrate
mandibles. In humans, the voice box also moves the mandible. Most vertebrates either engulf
their food or shred it. Many have teeth for feeding, and can be either herbivores or carnivores.
Octopuses are invertebrates having a clever feeding mechanism. They use their long tentacles to
explore crevices for their prey. On capturing their prey, they immediately inject their poisonous
saliva to immobilize it, after which they use their beaks to crush and ingest their prey. They
mostly eat crabs, mollusks, lobsters etc. If the shell of their prey is too tough to break, they use
salivary papilla to drill a pinhole and eat the meat of their prey. Thus, the octopus has evolved a
feeding mechanism suitable to it.
Solution
Mandibles refer to the feeding appendages (or jaws) using which food is ingested. Depending on
the type of organism and the prey that has to be captured, the structure of the mandible has
evolved over the ages. There are evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships to be considered
with regard to common features in the development of mandibles in insects and vertebrates too.
This is because several insect and crustacean adult mandibles are built in such a way that food is
mainly handled with the lower portion of the jaw.
Insect mandibles have evolved in accordance with the type of food or prey different species need
to catch. Common food sources for insects include algae,other insects, fish, other plants etc.
Insects may pierce the surface of their food and suck out fluids,or graze their food to separate it
from mud and ingest it. They can even bite off some portions of their food before ingestion or

2. engulf their food as a whole.Some insects chew leaves and other parts of plants. Their mandibles
have evolved accordingly.
Vertebrates have a variety of food sources and do not depend on any single trophic level for their
survival. The muscles that enable mastication of food move the lower jaw of vertebrate
mandibles. In humans, the voice box also moves the mandible. Most vertebrates either engulf
their food or shred it. Many have teeth for feeding, and can be either herbivores or carnivores.
Octopuses are invertebrates having a clever feeding mechanism. They use their long tentacles to
explore crevices for their prey. On capturing their prey, they immediately inject their poisonous
saliva to immobilize it, after which they use their beaks to crush and ingest their prey. They
mostly eat crabs, mollusks, lobsters etc. If the shell of their prey is too tough to break, they use
salivary papilla to drill a pinhole and eat the meat of their prey. Thus, the octopus has evolved a
feeding mechanism suitable to it.