gnathostome
/ˈnæθəˌstoʊm/
noun
- A vertebrate animal that has a jaw, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
- The first gnathostomes appeared in the fossil record over 400 million years ago.
- Humans, dogs, and sharks are all gnathostomes because they have jaws.
- In biology class, we learned that gnathostomes make up the vast majority of living vertebrates.