Question

Mammals have a single lower jaw called the ________.

1) mandible
2) maxilla
3) incisor
4) canine

Answer 1

Mammals possess a unique single lower jaw bone called the mandible; it is the only moveable bone in the skull, essential for chewing.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mammals have a single lower jaw called the mandible, which is unique to mammals in its form and function. The mandible is the only moveable bone in the skull and is crucial for the mastication process aided by the temporalis and masseter muscles. Unlike mammals, other vertebrates have a jaw made of multiple bones but in mammals, the mandible forms as a single bone through the fusion of left and right mandibular bones during the first year after birth. It is interesting to note that while the mandible and maxilla are parts of the jaw structure, the terms incisor and canine refer to types of teeth with specific functions in food processing.