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Its habitat appears to have been [[swamp]]y, and not [[savanna]] or [[forest]]. The postcranial anatomy of ''Oreopithecus'' features adaptations for suspensory arborealism. Functional traits related to suspensory locomotion include its broad thorax, short trunk, high [[intermembral index]], long and slender digits, and extensive mobility in virtually all joints. Its fingers and arms seem to show adaptations for climbing and swinging.
Its foot has been described as chimp-like, but is different from those of extant primates. The habitual line of leverage of the primate foot is parallel to the third [[metatarsal bone]]. In ''Oreopithecus'', the [[Anatomical terms of ___location#Left and right (lateral), and medial|lateral]] metatarsals are permanently [[Abduction (kinesiology)|abducted]] so that this line falls between the first and second metatarsals instead. Furthermore, the shape of the [[tarsus (skeleton)|tarsus]] indicate loads on the foot were transmitted to the medial side of the foot instead of the lateral, like in other primates.<ref name="Köhler-1997">{{harvnb|Köhler|Moyà-Solà|1997}}</ref> The metatarsals are short and straight, but have a lateral orientation increase. Its foot proportions are close to the unusual proportions of ''Gorilla'' and ''Homo'' but are distinct from those found in specialized climbers. The lack of predators and the limitation of space and resources in ''Oreopithecus''
''Oreopithecus'' has been claimed to exhibit features that are adaptations to upright walking, such as the presence of a [[lumbar]] curve, in distinction to otherwise similar species known from the same period. Since the fossils have been dated to about 8 [[million years ago]], this would represent an unusually early appearance of upright posture.<ref name="Köhler-1997"/> However, a reevaluation of the spine from a skeleton of ''Oreopithecus'' has led to the conclusion that it lacked adaptations for habitual [[biped]]ality <ref name="Ghose_2013">{{cite web |last=Ghose |first=Tia |title=Strange ancient ape walked on all fours |website=LiveScience.Com |publisher=TechMedia Network |date=2013-08-05 |url=http://www.livescience.com/38643-ancient-ape-walked-on-all-fours.html |access-date=2013-08-07 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="RussoShapiro2013">{{cite journal |last1=Russo |first1=G.A. |last2=Shapiro |first2=L.J. |title=Reevaluation of the lumbosacral region of ''Oreopithecus bambolii'' |journal=Journal of Human Evolution |date=2013-07-23 |df=dmy-all |doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.05.004 |volume=65 |issue=3 |pages=253–265 |pmid=23891006}}</ref>
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