PT151 S3 Q12 ExplanationA recently discovered fossil

Answer choices, explained

1. A

   Too Weak1% picked this

   The only paleontologists who believe that the entire fossil is from a single animal are those who were already convinced

   We need to establish that this fossil is not from a single animal, because that's the only way that we can prove that it does not provide evidence that birds evolved from dinosaurs. This is suggestive innuendo that "the only people who think it is an entire fossil seem to have confirmation bias ... thus, they're probably fooling themselves ... thus, it's probably not an entire fossil". But we can't prove the conclusion 100% just through innuendo. We need to know factually that the entire fossil is not from a single animal.

   1%
2. B

   Correct94% picked this

   If the fossil is a composite, then it has pieces of more

   Why this is right

   This argument was missing a connective piece between premises. It used this familiar Sufficient Assumption argument structure. Conclusion A ------------------------> Z Evidence A ----> B Y -----> Z Missing link B ---------> Y Conclusion this ------------------------------> doesn't provide fossil evidence Evidence this ----> composite not from ---> doesn't provide fossil of bones 1 animal evidence Missing link composite ---> not from of bones 1 animal In conversational terms, we know that this fossil is a composite of bones. According to this answer, that means it has pieces of more than one animal. And we know that if an entire fossil isn't from a single animal, then it can't provide evidence that birds evolved from dinos. So, this allows us to derive the conclusion.

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

   94%
3. C

   Unrelated to Goal1% picked this

   There are other fossils that provide evidence that birds evolved

   We need to establish that this fossil is not from a single animal, because that's the only way that we can prove that it does not provide evidence that birds evolved from dinosaurs. But this answer doesn't do that at all.

   1%
4. D

   Out of Scope: well-preserved3% picked this

   If the entire fossil is from a single animal, then it is

   We need to establish that this fossil is not from a single animal, because that's the only way that we can prove that it does not provide evidence that birds evolved from dinosaurs. This answer is a conditional that would allow us to provide that it's not from a single animal: if not a well ? then entire fossil not preserved specimen from single animal Okay, do we know that this fossil is not a well preserved specimen? No, we don't. We know it's a composite of bones collected from various parts of the site, but we'd have to add our own additional assumption that, "if composite of bones from various parts of site, then not a well-preserved specimen".

   3%
5. E

   Unrelated to Goal0% picked this

   The fossil was stolen from the discovery site and sold by someone who cared much more about personal profit than about the

   We need to establish that this fossil is not from a single animal, because that's the only way that we can prove that it does not provide evidence that birds evolved from dinosaurs. But this answer doesn't talk about whether it was from a single animal at all.

   0%