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- Fri May 06, 2016 2:28 pm
#24055
Complete Question Explanation
Strengthen. The correct answer choice is (C)
This is a Strengthen question that almost takes the form of a Weaken question. We are being asked to strengthen an argument that is being made against another conclusion in the stimulus. That first conclusion is that the lower jawbone found in Burma is evidence that higher primates originated there rather than in Egypt. This conclusion is based on the fact that the Burmese jawbone is older than the oldest known fossil found in Egypt. However, we are meant to provide support for the argument that this “claim is premature.”
Answer Choice (A): The numbers of primate species in either of the two regions does not matter for us. We are only concerned with the oldest primate species, and we do not know if species origination has anything to do with species diversity. So this statement does not help us.
Answer Choice (B): This would actually help the first conclusion that primates originated in Burma since it strengthens the evidence that the dating Burmese fossil is authentic and accurate.
Answer Choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. If we cannot identify higher primates only from their lower jawbone and the only fossil from Burma is a lower jawbone, it cannot be concluded that is must have belonged to a higher primate. (C) definitely strengthens the argument that the original claim is “premature.”
Answer Choice (D): This is wrong because it uses a flawed form of reasoning, an appeal to authority. We cannot just rely on the word of “prominent anthropologists,” we must address the hard evidence given in the stimulus.
Answer Choice (E): Like (B) this would help the anthropologists’ first conclusion. Other fossils found in Burma that are older than 40 million years definitely helps the argument that higher primates originated in Burma.
Strengthen. The correct answer choice is (C)
This is a Strengthen question that almost takes the form of a Weaken question. We are being asked to strengthen an argument that is being made against another conclusion in the stimulus. That first conclusion is that the lower jawbone found in Burma is evidence that higher primates originated there rather than in Egypt. This conclusion is based on the fact that the Burmese jawbone is older than the oldest known fossil found in Egypt. However, we are meant to provide support for the argument that this “claim is premature.”
Answer Choice (A): The numbers of primate species in either of the two regions does not matter for us. We are only concerned with the oldest primate species, and we do not know if species origination has anything to do with species diversity. So this statement does not help us.
Answer Choice (B): This would actually help the first conclusion that primates originated in Burma since it strengthens the evidence that the dating Burmese fossil is authentic and accurate.
Answer Choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. If we cannot identify higher primates only from their lower jawbone and the only fossil from Burma is a lower jawbone, it cannot be concluded that is must have belonged to a higher primate. (C) definitely strengthens the argument that the original claim is “premature.”
Answer Choice (D): This is wrong because it uses a flawed form of reasoning, an appeal to authority. We cannot just rely on the word of “prominent anthropologists,” we must address the hard evidence given in the stimulus.
Answer Choice (E): Like (B) this would help the anthropologists’ first conclusion. Other fossils found in Burma that are older than 40 million years definitely helps the argument that higher primates originated in Burma.