Some paleontologists believe that certain species

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong: "no evidence” / Opposite3% picked this

   paleontologists who believe that hadrosaurs guarded their young long after the young hatched have no evidence

   Ouch, no evidence? They had evidence in the form of fossils in elaborate nests.

   3%
2. B

   Too Strong3% picked this

   we will never be able to know the extent to which hadrosaurs

   Why so fatalistic? We will never be able to figure this out? Way too strong.

   3%
3. C

   Too Strong: “at most very brief”5% picked this

   hadrosaurs guarded their young for at most very brief periods

   This is pretty good, but still stronger than the correct answer. We don’t have to commit to a verdict right now. Crocs are a similar species with a similar nest doing potentially different things with their young. The truth is murky, whereas this conclusion is sure of itself.

   5%
4. D

   Out Of Scope: “other dinosaurs”7% picked this

   it is unclear whether what we learn about hadrosaurs from their fossilized remains tells us

   There’s no momentum for the author to conclude by talking about other dinosaurs. The paleontologists are making a move from thinking “What was true of hadrosaurs was probably also true of certain species of dinosaurs”. But the author doesn’t rebut that move. She rebuts the move from “elaborate nest” to “guarded young for a long time”.

   7%
5. E

   Correct82% picked this

   the construction of nests for hatchlings and adolescents is not strong evidence for

   Why this is right

   This is an appropriately weak pushback against the paleontologists. The example of crocodiles shows that we can’t automatically infer “guarded young for a while” from the existence of “elaborately designed nest”. So the elaborate hadrosaur nest they’ve found is not strong evidence for inferring that hadrosaurs “guarded young for a while”.

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

   82%