Flawed ReasoningDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A biologist argues that ice ages couldn't have caused human brains to evolve because other animals survived the same ice ages without their brains changing.
Conclusion: The theory that the evolution of the human brain was caused by the challenge of adapting to ice ages is incorrect.
Reasoning: Most other animal species were able to adapt to ice ages without experiencing any evolutionary changes to their brains.
Analysis: The biologist's argument suffers from a classic error: assuming that a cause must produce the same effect across all subjects. Just because other animals adapted differently doesn't mean the ice age wasn't the specific catalyst for human neurological development. Look for an answer that highlights this failure to consider that different species might have different evolutionary responses to the same environmental pressure. It’s a bit like saying 'Exercise doesn't cause weight loss because my dog runs all day and stays the same weight.'
Conclusion: The theory that the evolution of the human brain was caused by the challenge of adapting to ice ages is incorrect.
Reasoning: Most other animal species were able to adapt to ice ages without experiencing any evolutionary changes to their brains.
Analysis: The biologist's argument suffers from a classic error: assuming that a cause must produce the same effect across all subjects. Just because other animals adapted differently doesn't mean the ice age wasn't the specific catalyst for human neurological development. Look for an answer that highlights this failure to consider that different species might have different evolutionary responses to the same environmental pressure. It’s a bit like saying 'Exercise doesn't cause weight loss because my dog runs all day and stays the same weight.'
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage11.The biologist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?
Correct Answer
B
The argument assumes that because most other species did not evolve their brains in response to ice ages, humans could not have done so. This ignores the possibility of species-specific effects—exactly what (B) points out.
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