LSAT 148 – Section 3 – Question 03

LSAT 148 - Section 3 - Question 03

December 2016

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT148 S3 Q03
+LR
+Exp
Strengthen +Streng
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
1%
154
B
92%
163
C
2%
154
D
1%
152
E
3%
157
126
137
147
 +Easier 149.233 +SubsectionMedium

Researcher: Dinosaur fossils come in various forms, including mineralized bones and tracks in dried mud flats. However, mineralized dinosaur bones and dinosaur tracks in dried mud flats are rarely found together. This isn’t surprising, because creatures that scavenged dinosaur carcasses most likely frequented mud flats to find food.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis

The researcher concludes that it isn’t surprising that dinosaur bone fossils are rarely found near fossilized dinosaur tracks in mud flats. This observation is explained with the hypothesis that animals that scavenged dinosaur carcasses often searched for food in mud flats.

Notable Assumptions

The researcher assumes that dinosaur bones could have been moved away from the dinosaur tracks by the activity of creatures that scavenge dinosaur bones in mud flats. The researcher also assumes that there isn’t an alternate explanation for dinosaur bones and tracks often being separated in mud flats.

A
Dinosaur tracks are also found in locations other than mud flats.

This is irrelevant, since the the researcher’s hypothesis only aims at explaining dinosaur tracks that are in mud flats; no conclusions are being drawn about other types of locations.

B
Scavengers commonly drag a carcass away from the site where it was found.

This strengthens the argument by providing a mechanism for the separation of dinosaur bones from tracks by scavenger activity. This affirms the researcher’s assumption that scavenger activity can lead to tracks and bones being separated.

C
Researchers have found more fossil dinosaur tracks than fossil dinosaur bones.

This is irrelevant, since the hypothesis doesn’t depend on the relative frequency of tracks and bones, only the observation that they are rarely found together in mud flats.

D
Dinosaur fossils other than mineralized bone or tracks in dried mud flats are quite common.

This is irrelevant, since the researcher doesn’t make any claims about other types of dinosaur fossils, and only seeks to explain why bones and tracks are rarely found together in mud flats.

E
It takes longer for bone to mineralize than it takes for tracks to dry in mud flats.

This is irrelevant, because how long bones take to mineralize has no bearing on whether or how those bones can be moved away from their original location by scavengers.

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LSAT PrepTest 148 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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