Question

Cranial capacity of modern man is
A. 450-650 cc
B. 600-1000 cc
C. 900-1100 cc
D. 1200-1600 cc

Answer 1

Cranial capacity is the volume of the interior of the skull of vertebrates with a brain. The volume of the cranium is an indicator of the size of the skull.

Complete answer:
Option A: Average cranial capacity of modern man is more than 450-650 cc. Early hominids such as Paranthropus have a cranial capacity that falls in this range. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.
Option B: Average cranial capacity of modern man is more than 600-1000 cc. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.
Option C: Average cranial capacity of modern man is more than 900 -1100 cc. An early hominid, Homo erectus has a cranial capacity of 850-1100 cc which overlaps with the given range. Therefore, this is the incorrect option.
Option D: Modern man shows a cranial capacity of 1200-1600 cc. Therefore this is the correct option.
Cranial capacity is the volume of the skull which gives an insight into the size of the brain of organisms. This is often associated with intelligence. Cranial capacity is measured using different methods. In one of the methods, the cranium is filled with small glass beads and their volume is estimated. Another way is using a cast of the cranium and finding the volume of water the cast displaces. Cranial capacity is often estimated through CT scanning. Larger cranial capacity does not always indicate more intelligence. It could be a reflection of a larger body size.

Hence, the correct answer is option ‘D’, 1200-1600 cc.

Note:

Cranial capacity gives information for the study of different populations. It gives an insight into the racial, geographical, and ethnic origin details.
Apes like orangutans and chimpanzees have a cranial capacity of 275-500 cc.
Neanderthals have a cranial capacity of 1500-1740 cc.
The cranial capacity of Australopithecus ranges from 350-450 cc.