After comparing the Neanderthal DNA to the same stretch of DNA from hu

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After comparing the Neanderthal DNA to the same stretch of DNA from human mitochondria and to equivalent chimpanzee DNA, geneticists have found that the Neanderthal DNA was more similar to human DNA than chimp DNA.


Sentence Structure
• After comparing the Neanderthal DNA to the same stretch of DNA from human mitochondria and to equivalent chimpanzee DNA, geneticists have found
• that the Neanderthal DNA was more similar to human DNA than chimp DNA.
Meaning
• Geneticists compared the Neanderthal DNA to the human DNA and to equivalent chimpanzee DNA.
• Now the way this sentence is written, we can infer two meanings here:
o Meaning 1: Neanderthal DNA was more similar to human DNA than was the chimp DNA. Entities compared Neanderthal DNA and chimp DNA.
o Meaning 2: Neanderthal DNA was more similar to human DNA than to the chimp DNA. Entities compared human DNA and chimp DNA.



Error Analysis
• After comparing the Neanderthal DNA to the same stretch of DNA from human mitochondria and to equivalent chimpanzee DNA, geneticists have found
• that the Neanderthal DNA was more similar to human DNA than chimp DNA.

As we saw in the meaning analysis, the way this sentence is written, it presents ambiguous comparison.
If the intended comparison is between Neanderthal DNA and chimp DNA, then we need to repeat “was” before “the chimp DNA” to clarify the comparison.
If the intended comparison is between human DNA and chimp DNA, then we need to repeat preposition “to” before “the chimp DNA” to clarify the comparison.
We will do the PoE to find out the correct answer.

PoE

A. have found that the Neanderthal DNA was more similar to human than chimp DNA : Incorrect for the reasons stated above.

B. might find that the Neanderthal DNA was more similar to human than chimp : Incorrect.

Error 1: Use of “might” is incorrect as it denotes that there is possibility that the geneticists may find the stated similarity. However, the original sentence says that geneticists have already found the similarity.
Error 2: This choice illogically compares Neanderthal DNA to “human” and “chimp” and not their DNAs.

C. have found that the Neanderthal’s was more similar to human’s than chimp’s : Incorrect.
This choice repeats the error of choice A. The only difference is that the entities have been written using possessive case. Neanderthal’s (DNA), human’s (DNA), and chimp’s (DNA). Hence, this choice also presents ambiguous comparison.

D. have found that the Neanderthal DNA was more similar to human DNA than to chimp DNA : Correct Answer
This choice clarifies the comparison by repeating preposition “to” before “chimp DNA”. Hence, the intended comparison is between human DNA and chimp DNA.

E. found that the Neanderthal DNA was more similar than human DNA and chimp DNA: Incorrect.

Error 1: This choice does not have “to”. This removal leads to distorted meaning. Now we don’t know that the similarity of Neanderthal’s DNA is measured to who or what.



1. Word/words can be omitted as long as their removal does not make the sentence ambiguous.
2. Repeat the already present words if removal of those words leads to ambiguity in comparison.

Thanks.
Shraddha