Alternative interpretations of Ramapithecus

At the time of its discovery, the Miocene fossil Ramapithecus was argued to be in the lineage leading directly to Homo. If so, this would mean that the common ancestor of Homo with the other living Great Apes must be even older. Subsequent investigation shows that  Ramapithecus is a ground-dwelling relative of the modern Orangutan. Molecular and fossil evidence agree that Homo and the Great Apes are only recently separated.