Biologist: Support Lions and tigers are so similar to each other anatomically that their skeletons are virtually indistinguishable. βββ βββββ βββββββββ βββ βββββ ββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββ βββββββ βββββ ββββ ββ ββββββ βββββ βββββββββββββββ ββββββ ββββββββββ βββββ ββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββ
The biologist concludes that paleontologists canβt infer that extinct predators, like some dinosaurs, hunted in packs just based on their skeletons. He supports this by pointing out that, even though they have very similar skeletons, tigers hunt alone, while lions hunt in packs.
The biologist concludes that you canβt make a certain inference about extinct predators simply because you canβt make the same inference about lions and tigers. However, he never connects lionsβ and tigersβ hunting behavior and skeletons with extinct predatorsβ hunting behavior and skeletons.
To get from his premises to his conclusion, the biologist must assume, at minimum, that if you canβt infer lionsβ and tigersβ hunting behavior based only on their skeletons, then you also canβt infer extinct predatorsβ hunting behavior based only on their skeletons.
The conclusion is properly drawn ββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββ ββββββββ
The skeletons of βββββ βββ ββββββ βββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββ ββ βββββ ββββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββ
There have existed ββ βββββ βββ βββββββ ββ βββββββ βββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββββββ ββ ββββ βββββ ββββ βββββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββββββββββββββββββ
If skeletal anatomy βββββ ββ ββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββ βββ βββββββββ β ββββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββ ββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββββββ ββββ β βββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββ
If any two ββββββ βββββββ ββββ βββββββββ βββββββββββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββ βββββββ βββββ βββββββββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββββ ββββββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ ββββ βββ βββ βββββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ
If it is ββββββββββββ ββ ββββββ ββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββββββββββββ