LSAT 102 – Section 3 – Question 09

LSAT 102 - Section 3 - Question 09

June 1998

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT102 S3 Q09
+LR
+Exp
Necessary assumption +NA
Analogy +An
A
3%
156
B
83%
166
C
9%
159
D
0%
159
E
5%
154
141
149
158
 +Medium 147.613 +SubsectionMedium

Ornithologist: The curvature of the claws of modern tree-dwelling birds enables them to perch in trees. The claws of Archeopteryx, the earliest known birdlike creature, show similar curvature that must have enabled the creature to perch on tree limbs. Therefore, Archeopteryx was probably a tree-dwelling creature.

Paleontologist: No, the ability to perch in trees is not good evidence that Archeopteryx was a tree-dwelling bird. Chickens also spend time perched in trees, yet chickens are primarily ground-dwelling.

Summary
The ornithologist concludes that Archeopteryx probably lived in trees. This is supported by an analogy to modern tree-dwelling birds, whose curved claws let them perch in trees. Archeopteryx also had curved claws, leading to the sub-conclusion that Archeopteryx must also have been able to perch in trees.

Notable Assumptions
The ornithologist goes from evidence about Archeopteryx’s ability to perch in trees to a conclusion that Archeopteryx probably lived in trees. This requires assuming that Archeopteryx’s ability to perch in trees indicates Archeopteryx having actually spent time in trees.

A
Modern tree-dwelling birds are the direct descendants of Archeopteryx.
Whether or not modern tree-dwelling birds directly descended from Archeopteryx isn’t relevant to whether Archeopteryx actually spent time in trees.
B
Archeopteryx made use of the curvature of its claws.
In other words, Archeopteryx truly spent time perching in trees, enabled by its curved claws. This is necessary to assume, because if Archeopteryx didn’t use its claws to perch in trees, then its claws don’t support the theory that it was tree-dwelling.
C
There have never been tree-dwelling birds without curved claws.
Whether or not curved claws are truly necessary to tree-dwelling birds is irrelevant to whether Archeopteryx’s curved claws support the theory that it lived in trees.
D
Archeopteryx was in fact the earliest birdlike creature.
The ornithologist’s argument just concerns Archeopteryx’s behavior, so it’s totally irrelevant whether there were unknown earlier birdlike creatures.
E
The curvature of the claws is the only available evidence for the claim that Archeopteryx was tree-dwelling.
Whether or not there’s other evidence of Archeopteryx living in trees isn’t relevant to whether the evidence of curved claws truly supports the ornithologist’s theory that Archeopteryx lived in trees.

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LSAT PrepTest 102 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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