#15 - Loggerhead turtles live and breed in distinct groups

[miriamson07]

Hello,

I did choose answer choice D here, but this question felt quite tricky! I wonder how someone with little knowledge about geography might be able to assume that the “Japanese waters 10,000 kilometers away” are not in the Atlantic. Because if those Japanese waters WERE in the Atlantic, then it would seem like answer choice D was supporting the reasoning.

Perhaps it’s common knowledge to know that “Japanese waters 10,000 kilometers away” wouldn’t be the Atlantic? Please let me know, thank you.

[Amber Thomas]

Hi Miriamson!

I understand why this question is tricky-- however, we do have sufficient context clues to figure out our answer!

We know the following:
1) Loggerhead turtles exist in distinctive groups-- Pacific and Atlantic
2) New evidence indicates that Pacific loggerheads that feed near the Baja peninsula hatch in Japanese waters 10k km away
3) Our evidence for this is that 95% of the DNA samples taken from Baja turtles match the turtles at Japanese loggerhead nesting sites

So, even with no geographical context, we can infer that both the Baja Peninsula and Japan are in the Pacific Ocean, because the stimulus tells us that Pacific loggerheads live/breed there. It is established in our first premise that Pacific/Atlantic Loggerheads live and breed separately, so we can assume that Pacific Loggerheads do so in the Pacific, and Atlantic Loggerheads do so in the Atlantic.

This allows us to choose Answer Choice D-- maybe ALL loggerheads, both Pacific and Atlantic, Baja and Japanese, have a 95% DNA similarity. Therefore, that wouldn't be sufficient evidence to prove that the Japanese hatchlings then go on to feed near the Baja peninsula.

I hope this helps!