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Prehension involves the ability to reach, grasp and transport an object. It is a fitness-relevant behaviour with an important role in food acquisition and locomotion. Grasping an item requires the coordinated action of several muscles and, consequently, the muscular anatomy can be expected to be a good indicator of grasping ability. Here, we quantitatively analyse the myology of the forelimb in Carnivora in relation to their grasping ability, arboreality and locomotor specializations. Carnivorans are a monophyletic group and a good model due to the fact that they vary in ecology and prehensile capabilities. We find that non-prehensile taxa differ in their muscle properties from poorly prehensile taxa and from intermediately to strongly prehensile taxa when taking into account variation in body size and phylogeny. Species with strong prehensile capabilities are characterized by a high force-producing capacity in the …