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In archaeology, as in the physical sciences, new discoveries frequently undermine accepted findings and give rise to new theories. This trend can be seen in the reaction to the recent discovery of a set of 3.3-million-year-old fossils in Ethiopia, the remains of the earliest well-preserved child ever found. The fossilized child was estimated to be about 3 years old at death, female, and a member of the Australopithecus afarensis species. The afarensis species, a major human ancestor, lived in Africa from earlier than 3.7 million to 3 million years ago. " Her completeness, antiquity and age at death make this find of unprecedented importance in the history of paleo-anthropology" said Zeresenay Alemseged, a noted paleo-anthropologist. Other scientists said that the discovery could reconfigure conceptions about the live and capacities of these early humans.
Prior to this discovery, it had been thought that the afarensis species had abandoned the arboreal habitat of their ape cousins. However, while the lower linbs of this fossil supported findings that afarensis walked upright, its gorilla-like arms and shoulders suggested that it retained the ability to swing through trees. This had initiated a reexamination of many accepted theories of early human development. Also, the presence of a hyoid bone, a rarely preserved bone in the larynx that supports muscles of the throat, has had a tremendous impact on the theories about the origins of speech. The fossil bone is primitive and more similar to that of the apes than to that of humans, but it is the first hyoid bone found in such an early human-related species.1. The Organization of the passage could best be described as :
(A) Discussing a controversial scientific discovery
- No controversy is mentioned!(B) Contrasting previous theories of development with current findings
- theories? Plural? No such theories are mentioned(C) Illustrating a contention with a specific example
- CORRECT: Contention = "new discoveries frequently undermine accepted findings and give rise to new theories." and specific example = "The fossilized child was estimated to be about 3 years old at death, female, and a member of the Australopithecus afarensis species."(D) Arguing for the importance of a particular field of study
- discoveries are focued in the passage and not the field of study(E) Refuting a popular misconception
- No misconception is mentioned2. The passage quotes Zeresenay Alemseged in order to
(A) provide evidence to qualify the main idea of the first paragraph
- the main idea of the first passage is that new discoveries frequently undermine accepted findings and give rise to new theories; Zeresenay is talking about just the fossilized girl and not the discoveries.(B) question the claims of other scientists
- no claims are presented(C) provide evidence to support the linguistic abilities of afarensis species
- linguistics are discussed in the second paragraph. GMAT TRAP(D) provide evidence that supports the significance of the find
- CORRECT: Zeresenay was talking about the finding only!(E) provide a subjective opinion that is refuted in the second paragraph
- nothing is refuted.3. Each of the following is cited as a fact in the importance of the discovery of the fossils EXCEPT
(A) the fact that remains were those of a child
- "Her completeness, antiquity and age at death make this find of unprecedented importance..."(B) the age of the fossils
- same as A(C) the location of the discovery -
CORRECT: Ethopia is mentioned, but that is not mentioned in the IMPORTANCE PART of the premise. (D) the species of the fossils
- " The fossilized child was estimated to be about 3 years old at death, female, and a member of the Australopithecus afarensis species"(E) the intact nature of the fossils
- "Her completeness, antiquity and..."4. It can be inferred from the passage's description of the discovered fossil hyoid bone that
(A) Australopithecus afarensis were capable of speech
- nothing about speech is mentioned.(B) the discovered hyoid bone is less primitive than the hyoid bone of apes
- No such comparision is presented(C) the hyoid bone is necessary for speech
- necessity is not mentioned(D) the discovery of the hyoid bone necessitated the reexamination of prior theories
- CORRECT: "Also, the presence of a hyoid bone, a rarely preserved bone in the larynx that supports muscles of the throat, has had a tremendous impact on the theories about the origins of speech.". Underlined portion means that the existing theories were impacted, meaning reexamined! This is a very subtle inference.(E) The hyoid bone was the most important fossil found at the site
- no comparision of importance is mentioned5. According to the passage, the impact of the discovery of the hyoid bone in the field of archaeology could best be compared to which of the following examples in another field?
(A) The discovery and analysis of cosmic rays lend support to a widely accepted theory of the origin of the universe
- gorilla like arms and hyoid bone undermines existing theories and does not strengthens. (B) The original manuscript of deceased 19th century author confirms ideas of the development of an important work of literature
- undermining existing theories is the essense of the passage and not strengthening.(C) The continued prosperity of a state-run economy stirs debate in the discipline of macroeconomics -
Close but continued prosperity does not agree with newly discovered.(D) Newly revealed journal entries by a prominent Civil War-era politician lead to a questioning of certain accepted historical interpretations about the conflict
- CORRECT: Newly revealed is close to "the first hyoid bone found in such...", and questioning of certain accepted historical... is close to "has had a tremendous impact on the theories about the origins of speech"(E) Research into the mapping of the human genome gives rise to nascent applications to individually tailored medicines
- correction of existing theories is mentioned rather than rising new theories!Liked? How about giving Kudos?!
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