Question

Which of the following human species were more intelligent than the present human beings?
A. Ramapithecus
B. Australopithecus africanus
C. Homo erectus
D. Cro-Magnon man

Answer 1

Intelligence of any organism is directly proportional to the cranial capacity. Cranial capacity is the volume of the interior of the brain. The cranial capacity of the present human being is 1350 cc.

Complete step by step answer: The cranial capacity of the present man i.e., Homo sapiens is 1350 cc. Let us look at all the options given to us one by one.
Ramapithecus : Ramapithecus originated from the Dryopithecus in the late Miocene epoch. The fossils of Ramapithecus were discovered by Edward Lewis in 1932 from the Pliocene rocks of the Shivalik hills of India. The Ramapithecus had a cranial capacity of 650-800 cc.
Australopithecus africanus : Australopithecus africanus is also known as the First-Ape man. Their fossils were discovered by the South-African anthropologist, Raymond Dart in 1924, from the Pliocene rocks. Some fossils of Australopithecus africanus were also discovered from the Pleistocene epoch. Their cranial capacity was 500 cc.
Homo erectus : Homo erectus had appeared about one and a half million years ago. He is also known as the middle Pleistocene man. Their skull was flatter as compared to the modern man. The cranial capacity was 900 cc. Also, the cranium of the Homo erectus was dome-shaped to accommodate the large brain.
Cro-Magnon man: Cro-Magnon man was discovered in 1868 from the Cro-Magnon rocks of France, by MacGregor. He appeared in the Holocene epoch. The cranial capacity of the Cro-Magnon man was 1650 cc, which is greater than the modern man. Cro-Magnon man is the direct ancestor of the present-day, living man. Thus, based on the above information, we can conclude that Cro-Magnon man was more intelligent than the present human beings.
Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Note: The Cro-Magnon man is believed to be more intelligent and cultured than the man of today. It was able to walk and he could even run faster. They lived in stone caves with their families. They made very excellent tools and ornaments from, bones, stones, and elephant tusks. They used animal skins as clothes. They also made paintings in the caves.