#12 - Some biologists believe that the capacity for flight first developed in marine reptiles, claim

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Method-Argument Part. The correct answer choice is (A).

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[elite097]

Is the passage by any chance assuming that nonmarine reptiles can fly? How are we allowed to make this assumption? Reading this question seemed as if they are using this argument as a basis of rejecting conclusion on the grounds that nonmarine reptiles cannot fly despite having scales and thus rejecting that scales are needed to fly

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi elite,

They aren't assuming nonmarine reptiles can fly---they provide that as a premise. The argument states that some nonmarine reptiles have developed flight because we are trying to explain how flight first developed. The disagreement is between flight first developing in marine reptiles, and flight first developing in nonmarine reptiles (like tree-dwellers). If the nonmarine reptiles did not have flight, we would know who developed flight first as the nonmarine reptiles wouldn't have developed it yet.

Hope that helps!