Logical Reasoning

PT134 · S2 · Q13 Some paleontologists believe that certain species

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

Some paleontologists believe that certain species of dinosaurs guarded their young in protective nests long after the young hatched.

Facts

Some paleontologists are saying Some dinosaurs apparently guarded their babies in the nest for a while after they’re born since they found some fossils of baby dinosaurs and older kid dinosaurs in a really elaborately designed nest. MEANWHILE ... Modern crocs have similarly deluxe looking nests, but they don’t guard their babies very long after they’re born.

Evaluate

This paragraph has a rebuttal structure. Recognizing that makes it easier to anticipate a rebuttal-type conclusion. Some paleontologists believe .... As evidence, they cite .... But ..... Hence, _____ . What would be a safely worded way that the author could tell those paleontologists that they’re wrong about something?

Goal

Since our author is pushing back against the paleontologists’ argument, it should be something like,

13.

Which one of the following most logically completes the argument?

  1. paleontologists who believe that hadrosaurs

    Too Strong: "no evidence” / Opposite

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

    3% picked this

  2. we will never be able

    Too Strong

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

    3% picked this

  3. hadrosaurs guarded their young for

    Too Strong: “at most very brief”

    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.

    6% picked this

  4. it is unclear whether what

    Out Of Scope: “other dinosaurs”

    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% picked this

  5. Correct

    the construction of nests 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% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free