Evolution Question 141

141. Which one of the following is regarded as the direct ancestor of modern man?

[1996]

(a) Homo erectus

(b) Ramapithecus

(c) Homo habilis

(d) Australopithecus

Show Answer

Answer : a

Hints & Solution

(a) Modern humans originated in Africa within the past 200,000 years and evolved from their most likely recent common ancestor, Homo erectus, which means ‘upright man’ in Latin. Homo erectus is an extinct species of human that lived between 1.9 million and 135,000 years ago.