Question

Which of the following man fossils had the largest cranial capacity?

A. Java ape man

B. Cro- Magnon man

C. Neanderthal man

D. Peking man

Answer 1

Hint: The modern Homo sapiens have evolved from Cro-Magnon which are in turn descendents of Neanderthals.

Complete answer:

Since the evolution of man, brain capacity has been the most important and talked of criteria.

Java ape-man and Peking man were almost similar in features, whereas the Cro-Magnon man is the direct ancestor of modern man.

Neanderthal is the direct ancestor of Cro-Magnon man. 

The cranial capacity of Java ape-man was $900$ c.c.

The cranial capacity of Cro-Magnon man was $1600$ c.c.

Peking man had a cranial capacity of about $1075$ c.c.

The cranial capacity of the Neanderthal man was $1400$ c.c. 

Comparing all the cranial capacities, the Cro-Magnon man tends to have a higher cranial capacity than all the above. Moreover, Neanderthals were the ones from which the Cro-Magnon man evolved, which in turn were the ancestors of the modern man. Neanderthals were quite heavier than Cro-Magnon men and modern humans. They lived in eastern countries of Europe, Asia, and America.

So, the correct answer is “Option B”.

Additional Information:
Cranial capacity is defined as the measure of the volume of the capacity of the skull in c.c. generally characterized in human beings who are said to have a brain. It is true that Neanderthals and Cro-Magnon men both had a very high cranial capacity, greater than modern man. But the important thing to mention here is that though the brain size is high, they lacked the strength to hold emotions and thinking capacity. So, this is a clear proof that modern man is considered to be the most intellectual creature, even if the cranial capacity is lesser than its ancestors.

Note:
Many people have a misconception that Neanderthals have a small brain, but reversibly, their brain is as large as the modern human. The cranial capacity of the modern human brain is $1500$ c.c. which is almost similar to the brain capacity of a Neanderthal which is $1400$ c.c.
Also, Cro-Magnon man is the direct ancestor of modern man found in Europe. They have a better brain capacity than Neanderthal and modern humans.