Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT153 S2 Q14 ExplanationBiologists are mistaken in thinking

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

TopicsMain Conclusion

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Stimulus

Biologists are mistaken in thinking that the fossil record provides direct evidence of the course of human evolution. Fossils cannot be interpreted objectively: the physical characteristics by which they are classified invariably reflect the models the paleontologists wish to test. For example, classifying a pelvis as human for granted that bipedalism distinguished early hominids from apes.

What this question is testing

Main Conclusion

Your task

Break the argument into its conclusion and evidence, then do exactly what the question stem asks with that structure.

Common trap

Answers that sound relevant to the topic but don't connect to the argument's actual reasoning.

Winning move

Predict what a right answer must do, then test each choice against the conclusion-evidence gap.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
14.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion of

Answer choices, explained

  1. Unstated Last-Claim Trap0% picked this

    No early apes had pelvises that would support an

    This doesn't have any resemblance to the first sentence, so it's not worth scrutinizing any further. It happens to be saying something extreme and unstated. It sound the most like language from the final sentence, and since the final sentence is the conclusion on only 10% of Main Conclusion questions, we should always be wary of selecting an answer that sounds like the last idea.

  2. Unstated6% picked this

    The claims made by evolutionary theorists cannot be

    This does not look like any sort of match for the first sentence, so we don't need to think about it any further. As it happens, it's saying something very extreme that was never said.

  3. Unstated Last-Claim Trap1% picked this

    The fossil remains of some early hominids are difficult to distinguish from

    This doesn't have any resemblance to the first sentence, so it's not worth scrutinizing any further. It's saying something that was never stated. It sounds the most like language from the final sentence, and since the final sentence is the conclusion on only 10% of Main Conclusion questions, we should always be wary of selecting an answer that sounds like the last idea.

  4. Correct89% picked this

    The fossil record does not directly reveal the course of

    Why this is right

    This matches the meaning of the first sentence, which we identified as our Main Conclusion.

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

  5. Premise4% picked this

    Paleontologists? classifications of fossils are always influenced by the theories that these

    This is the second half of the 2nd sentence; it's a premise supporting the Intermediate Conclusion that begins the 2nd sentence.

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