A vertebrate animal that possesses hinged jaws, representing a major evolutionary innovation that allowed for more diverse feeding strategies. This group includes all jawed fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
From Greek 'gnathos' meaning 'jaw' and 'stoma' meaning 'mouth,' literally 'jaw mouth.' The term was coined in the late 19th century to distinguish jawed vertebrates from their jawless (agnathan) relatives.
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