**Closed ancestor to modern man was Australopithecus**

Australopithecus is considered the closed ancestor to modern man. Let's explore the reasons why this is the correct answer.

**1. Australopithecus:**
Australopithecus is a genus of hominins that lived between 4 and 2 million years ago. They are believed to be the earliest human-like creatures and are considered the earliest members of the human evolutionary lineage. They appeared in Africa and are known for their bipedal locomotion, which is a key characteristic of modern humans.

**2. Homo habilis:**
Homo habilis, also known as "handy man," lived approximately 2.4 to 1.4 million years ago. They were the first early humans to use stone tools, but they are not considered the direct ancestor of modern humans. Homo habilis is believed to have coexisted with Australopithecus, but it is not the immediate precursor to modern humans.

**3. Neanderthal man:**
Neanderthals, or Homo neanderthalensis, lived in Europe and parts of Asia between 400,000 and 40,000 years ago. They were a closely related species to modern humans, but they are not our direct ancestors. Neanderthals and modern humans shared a common ancestor but evolved separately.

**4. Cro-magnon man:**
Cro-Magnon refers to the early modern humans of the European Upper Paleolithic period, which lasted from about 40,000 to 10,000 years ago. They are considered anatomically modern humans and are the direct ancestors of modern humans. However, they are not the closed ancestor to modern man as specified in the question.

**Conclusion:**
Based on the information provided, the correct answer is Australopithecus. Australopithecus is considered the closed ancestor to modern man due to its early appearance in the human evolutionary lineage and its significant bipedal locomotion characteristics. While Homo habilis, Neanderthal man, and Cro-Magnon man are all important in human evolution, Australopithecus is the most appropriate choice for the closed ancestor to modern man.

Cro-magnon man is direct ancestor of modern man. And about more details see supriya senapati timeline because she is uploaded a best trick for remember human evolution.