Rudapithecus

Rudapithecus is a chimpanzee-like genus of extinct great apes from the Late Miocene boundary of Europe 10 million years ago (mya). This genus contains one species, Rudapithecus hungaricus.

Rudapithecus is often classified among the Miocene dryopithecine apes in the subfamily Dryopithecinae and displays a combination of anatomical features seen in modern African apes, including aspects of the skull and teeth. Because of these similarities, it is considered an important fossil for understanding the evolution and biogeography of the ancestors of modern great apes and humans during the Miocene.

The first publication of Rudapithecus was in 1969 by Miklós Kretzoi and included a short diagnosis of the genus. Although there were publications of Rudapithecus as early as 1967 in newspapers, these were short and included no diagnosis or type specimen which is why it is considered that the genus was first described Miklós Kretzoi in 1969.