Caveman as a term could refer to either Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon man (who modern indigenous Europeans are descended from).
Both modern humans (descended from Cro-Magnon) and Neanderthals share a common ancestor from 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. However, this ancestor has yet to be discovered.
It is a monkey
There were no human species known as "Cavemen".
Caveman as a term could refer to either Neanderthal or Cro-Magnon man (who modern indigenous Europeans are descended from).Both modern humans (descended from Cro-Magnon) and Neanderthals share a common ancestor from 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. However, this ancestor has yet to be discovered.
The early ancestor closest to modern man in intellectual ability was the
Monkey
chimpanzee
Monkey
If your referring the dawn of man, (first upright walking animals with two legs and two arms), as caveman then the closest ancestor would be the time relevant species of monkey because without knowing what the missing link between the two is we wouldn't know that answer. This suggests evolution which suggests we all started as bacteria from alien water sources when H2O enriched meteors pummeled the earth some time after it's birth.
lemur
Humans' closest relatives in the animal kingdom are chimpanzees and bonobos, with whom we share a common ancestor.
The last common ancestor between Homo sapiens and their closest relatives among other apes (Chimpanzees) occurred around 6 to 8 million years ago. Because this field is such a new one, and because the information is so limited, as of yet it is difficult to assign a specific species to the common ancestor. Right now the closest we have come is Sahelanthropus tchadensis.
Humans are genetically closest to chimpanzees and bonobos, sharing a common ancestor with them around 6-7 million years ago.