LSAT 142 – Section 4 – Question 10

LSAT 142 - Section 4 - Question 10

December 2014

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT142 S4 Q10
+LR
Evaluate +Eval
A
1%
152
B
2%
152
C
95%
164
D
2%
158
E
1%
156
127
136
145
 +Easier 147.564 +SubsectionMedium

In 2005, paleontologist Mary Schweitzer made headlines when she reported finding preserved soft tissue in the bones of a Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur. Analysis of the collagen proteins from the T. rex showed them to be similar to the collagen proteins in modern-day chickens. Schweitzer’s discovery therefore adds to the mountain of evidence that dinosaurs are closely related to birds.

Summarize Argument

The author concludes that dinosaurs are closely related to birds. This is due to, among other evidence, a paleontologist’s discovery: that T. rex had collagen proteins similar to those found in modern chickens.

Notable Assumptions

The author assumes that dinosaurs and chickens having similar collagen proteins adds to the evidence that dinosaurs and birds are similar. This means the author believes such collagen proteins aren’t common to a whole host of totally unrelated animals. This also means he believes two dissimilar animals won’t share collagen proteins.

A
How rare is it to find preserved soft tissue in the bones of a dinosaur?

Irrelevant. Whether it’s very rare or very common to find soft tissue in dinosaur bones tells us nothing about the author’s argument: that collagen proteins in dinosaurs tells us dinosaurs are closely related to birds.

B
Is there any evidence at all against the claim that dinosaurs are closely related to birds?

The author never claims that all evidence points to dinosaurs and birds being closely related. He simply claims that shared collagens adds to the “mountain of evidence” that dinosaurs and birds are related.

C
How likely is it for animals that are not closely related to each other to have similar collagen proteins?

If it’s highly likely for animals that aren’t closely related to share collagens, then shared collagens between dinosaurs and chickens wouldn’t signify a close relation—a weakener. If it’s highly unlikely, then collagens likely do signify a close relation—a strengthener.

D
Is it possible that T. rex is more closely related to modern-day chickens than to certain other types of dinosaurs?

Irrelevant. Even if it were “possible,” that wouldn’t tell us that dinosaurs and birds are in fact closely related.

E
Before Schweitzer’s discovery, did researchers suppose that the collagen proteins in T. rex and chickens might be similar?

We don’t care what researchers had hypothesized before this discovery. We’re interested in if the study constitutes evidence that dinosaurs and birds are closely related.

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LSAT PrepTest 142 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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