Role in ArgumentDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Some scientists think dinosaurs were cold-blooded because they lacked certain nose bones. But the researcher points out that since some dinosaurs lived in freezing places where only warm-blooded animals survive, those scientists must be wrong.
Conclusion: The claim that all dinosaurs were cold-blooded is incorrect.
Reasoning: Evidence shows some dinosaurs lived in freezing environments, and only warm-blooded animals are capable of surviving such temperatures.
Analysis: This 'Role in Argument' question asks about a specific premise. The statement that only warm-blooded animals could survive freezing temperatures acts as a general rule or 'bridge' in the researcher's argument. It allows the researcher to take the factual evidence (dinosaurs in freezing Australia/Alaska) and use it to prove that those dinosaurs must have been warm-blooded. This directly contradicts the paleobiologists' theory, making this statement a premise used to refute a rival position.
Conclusion: The claim that all dinosaurs were cold-blooded is incorrect.
Reasoning: Evidence shows some dinosaurs lived in freezing environments, and only warm-blooded animals are capable of surviving such temperatures.
Analysis: This 'Role in Argument' question asks about a specific premise. The statement that only warm-blooded animals could survive freezing temperatures acts as a general rule or 'bridge' in the researcher's argument. It allows the researcher to take the factual evidence (dinosaurs in freezing Australia/Alaska) and use it to prove that those dinosaurs must have been warm-blooded. This directly contradicts the paleobiologists' theory, making this statement a premise used to refute a rival position.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage16.Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the researcher's argument by the claim that only warm-blooded animals could survive temperatures below freezing?
Correct Answer
B
The claim that only warm-blooded animals could survive below freezing functions as a premise. Together with the fossil evidence, it supports the conclusion that some dinosaurs were warm-blooded, thereby supporting the main conclusion that the paleobiologists’ “all cold-blooded” view is mistaken.
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