LSAT 117 – Section 2 – Question 10

LSAT 117 - Section 2 - Question 10

October 2004

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT117 S2 Q10
+LR
Resolve reconcile or explain +RRE
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
0%
151
B
96%
162
C
2%
152
D
1%
149
E
0%
157
128
136
143
 +Easier 146.765 +SubsectionMedium

Before their larvae hatch, each parental pair of Nicrophorus beetles buries the carcass of a small vertebrate nearby. For several days after the larvae hatch, both beetles feed their voracious larvae from the carcass, which is entirely consumed within a week. Since both parents help with feeding, larvae should benefit from both parents’ presence; however, removing one parent before the hatching results in larvae that grow both larger and heavier than they otherwise would be.

"Surprising" Phenomenon

Why do the larva grow larger and heavier when one parent is present, even though both parents help with feeding by bringing a food source to the larva before they hatch?

Objective

The correct answer should help explain why having one parent present present is better for the larva’s growth than having two parents. Perhaps, for example, having two parents takes away from the amount of food available to the larva, or causes some kind of biological reaction in the larva that inhibits their growth. Or perhaps there’s something about having one parent present that leads larva to eat more.

A
Two beetles can find and bury a larger carcass than can a single beetle.

This makes the discrepancy harder to explain, because it’s something positive about having two parents present compared to only one.

B
Both parents use the carcass as their own food supply for as long as they stay with the larvae.

If both parents use the carcass for their own food, that leave less food available for the larva when both parents are present compared to when only one is present. That could explain why the larva grow larger with only one present.

C
Beetle parents usually take turns feeding their larvae, so that there is always one provider available and one at rest.

This doesn’t tell us why having both parents present would lead to less food for the larva. If anything, it suggests having both present would help the larva feed, which makes the discrepancy harder to explain.

D
After a week, the larvae are capable of finding other sources of food and feeding themselves.

But why would having two parents around be worse for larva growth than having only one present? This doesn’t differentiate between having both parents around compared to only one.

E
Two parents can defend the carcass from attack by other insects better than a single parent can.

This is a reason to think larva should have more food available when both parents are present than when only one is present. This makes the discrepancy harder to explain.

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LSAT PrepTest 117 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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