PT152 S4 Q10 ExplanationA traditional view of Neanderthals

Answer choices, explained

1. A

   Out of Scope: known3% picked this

   Neanderthals are known to have possessed the manual dexterity required to create cave paintings like the

   In order for the author's hypothesis that a Neanderthal painted this cave painting to be plausible, he does need to assume that Neanderthals possessed the manual dexterity to create a painting like this. But he doesn't need to assume that we already know them to possess this dexterity. Maybe this painting will be the first strong piece of evidence we have that they possessed this dexterity.

   3%
2. B

   Too Strong: any part17% picked this

   No species of hominid other than Neanderthals inhabited any part of Europe

   This is too strong by saying the author needs to believe there were no other hominids anywhere in Europe 41,000 years ago. The author's argument is only affected by other hominids in the area of northern Spain where the cave painting was found. If there were some Cro-Magnons up in the Swiss Alps, that doesn't affect this argument at all.

   17%
3. C

   Correct77% picked this

   The ability to create cave paintings like the one in northern Spain indicates the ability

   Why this is right

   This just connects the Intermediate Conclusion to the Main Conclusion. Whenever we see a Main Conclusion on an Assumption question and it has a crucial term that was never discussed in the evidence (here, it's "think symbolically"), then we're almost guaranteed to see that crucial term in the correct answer. If we didn't even have "think symbolically" on our radar, it means that we failed to see the Rebuttal in the 2nd sentence, or we saw it but failed to rephrase the conclusion (take it out of its generic "this view is mistaken" form and import the referential language so we hear it saying "this view that Neanderthals didn't have the ability to think symbolically is mistaken"). If we negated this answer, it would badly weaken the argument. If the ability to create a cave painting like the one they found does not indicate an ability to think symbolically, then the author has presented no evidence at all to support the claim that Neanderthals had the ability to think symbolically.

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

   77%
4. D

   Too Strong: first2% picked this

   The recent evidence regarding the cave painting in northern Spain is the first evidence to suggest that Neanderthals possessed

   The author's argument isn't hurt at all if it turns out that this cave painting is the second piece of evidence we have to suggest that Neanderthals could think symbolically. So the author doesn't need to assume that it's the first piece.

   2%
5. E

   Illegal Negation1% picked this

   Any species of hominid that cannot create cave paintings must lack the ability

   This author was assuming, If a species of hominid then they had (like Neanderthals) can ? the ability to create a cave painting think symbolically This answer provides an illegal negation of that move. If a species of hominid then they lack (like Neanderthals) can't ? the ability to create a cave painting think symbolically It's also too broad for this answer to be about all species of hominids rather than just about Neanderthals.

   1%