Logical Reasoning

PT149 · S3 · Q14 Several Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons found

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Several Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons found in North America contain tooth marks that only a large carnivore could have made.

Statements

Several T-rex skeletons found in North America have tooth marks from a large carnivore.

At that time, T-rex was the only large carnivore.

(infer: the toothmarks on these T-rex skeletons came from a T-rex)

The tooth marks could have resulted only from combat or feeding.

(infer: either T-rex 1 was fighting T-rex 2 or eating T-rex 2)

It would have been almost impossible to inflict these tooth marks on the skeleton of a live animal.

(infer: T-rex 1 was not fighting a live T-rex 2. It was feeding on a dead T-rex 2)

Goal

Unlike many Most Supported paragraphs, which are a hodge-podge of disorganized facts, this paragraph sort of led us, in order, through several opportunities to stop and combine ideas.

So let's look for the most provable answer, but it will probably be something like - Some of these T-rex skeletons we found have tooth marks that were caused by another T-rex that was eating it after it had died.

14.

The information above most strongly supports which one of the following?

  1. T. rex regularly engaged in

    No Support: smaller carnivores

    We have no support that T. rex ever engaged in combat with anyone, let alone smaller carnivores.

    1% picked this

  2. At the time T. rex

    Too Strong: common

    We only have support here that some T. rex's had their dead body eaten by other T. rex's. We don't know if this was common among T. rex's, let alone common among carnivores in general.

    9% picked this

  3. Correct

    T. rex sometimes engaged in

    Why this is right

    We have support here that some T. rex's had their dead body eaten by other T. rex's. Since "cannibalism" just means eating something the same species as you, then, yes, we can strongly support the idea that there were at least some instances of T. rex's eating other T. rex's.

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

    79% picked this

  4. T. rex sometimes engaged in

    No Support: intraspecies combat

    We have no support that T. rex ever engaged in combat with anyone. We know the teeth marks found on some T. rex skeletons had to come from fighting another T. rex or having their dead body eaten by another T. rex. But the final sentence heavily tips the scales towards that latter option, since it says that it would have been almost impossible for the first option to have occurred.

    9% picked this

  5. At the time T. rex

    Out of Scope

    Out of Scope: other than North America We didn't get any information about continents other than North America.

    2% picked this

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