#16 - Concept Reference, Cannot Be True

[LSAT2018]

Lines 54-59 indicate, in the grassland, where 12 percent of the habitat is available for occupation by A. aperta, Riechert predicts that spiders will be more willing to engage in escalated fighting than in the riparian habitat, where 90 percent of the habitat is suitable for occupation. So would this be inconsistent with the answer (D) that spiders in the riparian habitat are as willing to engage in escalated fighting?

[Brook Miscoski]

LSAT2018,

Yes, R's theory was that conditions, not species ritual, predicted conflict. So the choice that claims that conditions do not predict conflict is the one that is inconsistent with his theory.

[Min Jeong Kim]

I quite do not understand clearly why answer choice D is correct.

I thought I could confirm answer choices A and E since they are related to the factors predicted by Riechart, specifically the probability of winning a subsequent site if the dispute is lost.

The same case for answer choice E, confirmed by one of the factor, the size of the opponents.

I could not strongly confirm answer choice C. Can it be confirmed by the last sentence of the last paragraph, spiders in the grassland habitat more likely engaging in escalated fighting than those in the riparian habitat?

Is answer choice D wrong because it failed to show the differences between spiders in the riparian and those in the grassland?

[Amber Thomas]

Hi Min!

Let's take a look at answer choice D:
"Spiders in the riparian habitat are as willing to engage in escalated fighting as are spiders in the grassland habitat."

Now, let's look at the evidence presented in the passage between lines 54-59:
"In the grassland, where 12 percent of the habitat is available for occupation by A. aperta, Riechert predicts that spiders will be more willing to engage in escalated fighting than in the riparian habitat, where 90 percent of the habitat is suitable for occupation."

What these lines indicate is that since there is a smaller percentage of the habitat that the spiders can occupy in the grasslands versus the riparian habitat, the spiders in the grassland are more likely to engage in escalated fighting in territorial disputes when compared to spiders in the riparian habitat. We can infer that this is because there is less of the habitat available to occupy in the grasslands, the spiders need to be more aggressive in order to establish their webs.

Answer choice D says the opposite of this-- it says that the spiders in the grasslands and riparian habitats are equally likely to engage in escalated fighting for territorial disputes.

Our question stem is asking us to choose whichever answer is LEAST consistent with Riechert's theory about fighting behavior in spiders, and since answer choice D directly contradicts what Riechert states in the passage, that makes it the correct answer.

I hope this helps!

Regards,
Amber

[Min Jeong Kim]

I see now. I appreciate your help!!

Hi Min!

Let's take a look at answer choice D:
"Spiders in the riparian habitat are as willing to engage in escalated fighting as are spiders in the grassland habitat."

Now, let's look at the evidence presented in the passage between lines 54-59:
"In the grassland, where 12 percent of the habitat is available for occupation by A. aperta, Riechert predicts that spiders will be more willing to engage in escalated fighting than in the riparian habitat, where 90 percent of the habitat is suitable for occupation."

What these lines indicate is that since there is a smaller percentage of the habitat that the spiders can occupy in the grasslands versus the riparian habitat, the spiders in the grassland are more likely to engage in escalated fighting in territorial disputes when compared to spiders in the riparian habitat. We can infer that this is because there is less of the habitat available to occupy in the grasslands, the spiders need to be more aggressive in order to establish their webs.

Answer choice D says the opposite of this-- it says that the spiders in the grasslands and riparian habitats are equally likely to engage in escalated fighting for territorial disputes.

Our question stem is asking us to choose whichever answer is LEAST consistent with Riechert's theory about fighting behavior in spiders, and since answer choice D directly contradicts what Riechert states in the passage, that makes it the correct answer.

I hope this helps!

Regards,
Amber