The metacarpus consists of metacarpal bones.
The metacarpus is compact and moderately elongated.
In other mammals, the contrahentes may have their origin either on the carpus or the metacarpus, which suggests that the palmar interossei muscles also contain elements of the contrahentes.
The metatarsal bones of feet and paws are tightly grouped compared to, most notably, the human hand where the thumb metacarpal diverges from the rest of the metacarpus.
The bones of the carpus do not belong to individual fingers (or toes in quadrupeds), whereas those of the metacarpus do.
The second metacarpal was expanded at the top at the side of the first metacarpal, making the entire metacarpus more compact.
In tetrapods, the carpus is the sole cluster of bones in the wrist between the radius and ulna and the metacarpus.
The procorpus is fused with the metacarpus to for a two part esophagus.
