Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT9 S2 Q11 Explanation

Recently discovered fossil evidence

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

TopicsMethod

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Stimulus

Recently discovered fossil evidence casts doubt on the evolutionary theory that dinosaurs are more closely related to reptiles than to other classes of animals. Fossils show that some dinosaurs had hollow bones—a feature found today only in warm-blooded creatures, such as birds, that have a high metabolic rate. Dinosaurs had well-developed senses warm-blooded. Finally, fossils reveal that many dinosaurs had a pattern of growth typical of warm-blooded animals.

What this question is testing

Method

Your task

Describe how the argument proceeds — the technique it uses to reach its conclusion.

Common trap

Answers that describe a method the argument doesn't actually use.

Winning move

Track the role each statement plays, then match that to the choice describing the same moves.

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

The question
11.

The argument in the passage proceeds

Answer choices

  1. Trap9% picked this

    attempting to justify one position by demonstrating that an opposing position is based

  2. Trap3% picked this

    establishing a general principle that it then uses to draw a conclusion about

  3. Trap9% picked this

    dismissing a claim made about the present on the basis of

  4. Trap21% picked this

    assuming that if all members of a category have a certain property then all things with that property

  5. Correct59% picked this

    presenting evidence that a past phenomenon is more similar to one rather than the other

    Why this is right

    Answer E is correct.

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

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