Anthropologist: It was formerly

Answer choices

1. A

   Opposite6% picked this

   At least some Neanderthals lived at the same time and in the same places as prehistoric Homo sapiens

   If the author thought that N's and early humans did interbreed, he would need to assume that at least some of them lived in proximity of each other. But since she's arguing they didn't interbreed, it wouldn't hurt her argument if no Neanderthals and early humans ever crossed paths.

   6%
2. B

   Opposite1% picked this

   DNA testing of remains is significantly less reliable than DNA testing of samples

   This answer would hurt her argument, as written. She is relying on a DNA dissimilarity to get to her conclusion, so she wants to trust in and believe the accuracy of the DNA profiles we have of Neanderthals and modern humans.

   1%
3. C

   Correct77% picked this

   The DNA of prehistoric Homo sapiens ancestors of contemporary humans was not significantly more similar to that of Neanderthals than is

   Why this is right

   This rules out a big objection. If we negate it, we hear the objection that "yes, the DNA of modern humans is very different from that of Neanderthals, but the DNA of early humans was significantly more similar, so maybe they did interbreed!" Stated positively, the author is thinking that we can trust our modern DNA samples of humans to be pretty close to what the DNA of an early human would have been (it would not be significantly different).

   Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   77%
4. D

   Too Strong: completely isolated2% picked this

   Neanderthals and prehistoric Homo sapiens ancestors of contemporary humans were completely isolated from

   The author is only arguing that early humans didn't interbreed with Neanderthals. She doesn't need to believe that they were geographically isolated. They might have seen each other and just thought, "Nahhhh, that ain't my species. I ain't breeding with that."

   2%
5. E

   Opposite Logic Too Strong: any, must14% picked this

   Any similarity in the DNA of two species must be the

   The author is thinking: DNA is not ? didn't interbreed similar This answer is accusing her of thinking: DNA is ? did interbreed similar That's an illegal negation of her reasoning. We could alternatively just hear this answer as way too strong an idea: every single similarity in DNA must be because of interbreeding?

   14%