Domesticated animals, such as dogs

Answer choices

1. A

   No Impact6% picked this

   Domesticated animals cannot be turned into wild species by breeding only those animals that display

   The argument claims that wild animals can be domesticated through selective breeding. Whether domesticated animals can be turned back into wild ones through the reverse process is a completely separate question. The argument is about the feasibility of one-directional transformation — wild to domestic — and the reversibility of that process has no bearing on whether the forward process works for all species. Even if domesticated animals cannot be turned wild again, that tells us nothing about whether all wild species have the tame members needed to begin the domestication process. This answer addresses the reverse direction of a process when the argument is only about the forward direction.

   6%
2. B

   No Impact1% picked this

   In some animal species, wild members mate more frequently than

   The frequency of mating between wild and tame members does not address the argument's core assumption. The argument claims all animals can be domesticated by selectively breeding tame individuals. For this to fail, there must be species where the process cannot get started — where no tame individuals exist. Whether wild members mate more frequently than tame ones is a practical complication about breeding logistics, not a fundamental barrier to the process. As long as some tame individuals exist, a determined breeder could isolate them for selective breeding regardless of the mating preferences of wild members. The process might be slower or more difficult, but it would not be impossible in principle, and the argument's claim is about what is possible "in principle."

   1%
3. C

   Correct87% picked this

   In some animal species, no members ever

   Why this is right

   The argument's domestication process requires a specific starting condition: some members of the species must display tameness, so that a breeder can select and breed them. The argument then generalizes: since this process works (as demonstrated with wolves), all animals can be domesticated. But this generalization assumes that every species has at least some tame individuals to work with. This answer directly attacks that assumption by stating that in some animal species, no members ever display tameness. If there are zero tame individuals, the selective breeding process cannot begin — there is nothing to select for. The method is useless without the raw material it requires. This eliminates the precondition for domestication in at least some species, directly contradicting the universal claim that "all animals" can be bred for domesticity.

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

   87%
4. D

   No Impact4% picked this

   In some animal species, tame members are less fertile than

   Lower fertility among tame members creates a practical challenge for selective breeding but does not make the process impossible in principle. The argument claims all animals can be domesticated "in principle," which concerns theoretical possibility rather than practical ease. Even if tame members are less fertile, they are not infertile — they can still reproduce, just at lower rates. A selective breeding program would take longer and be more difficult, but it could still proceed as long as tame individuals exist and can produce offspring. The argument's real vulnerability is the assumption that tame individuals exist in every species, not that the existing tame individuals breed at optimal rates. This answer identifies a speed bump, not a roadblock.

   4%
5. E

   No Impact2% picked this

   In some domesticated animal species, some members are much more tame

   The existence of varying tameness levels within already-domesticated species tells us nothing about whether all wild species can be domesticated in the first place. The argument's claim is about the universality of the domestication process across species, not about variation within species that have already been domesticated. The fact that some dogs are tamer than others does not address whether, say, a completely wild species with no tame members can be domesticated. This answer describes a characteristic of the outcome of successful domestication rather than addressing whether the process can succeed universally. It is about post-domestication variation, while the argument's vulnerability concerns pre-domestication preconditions.

   2%