Paleontologist: About 2.8 million years ago, many species that lived near the ocean floor suffered substantial population declines. These declines coincided with the onset of an ice age. The notion that cold killed these bottom-dwelling creatures outright is misguided, however; temperatures near the ocean floor would have changed very little. Nevertheless, the cold probably did cause the population declines, though indirectly. Many bottom-dwellers depended for food on plankton, small organisms that lived close to the surface and sank to the bottom when they died. Most probably, the plankton suffered a severe population decline as a result of sharply lower temperatures at the surface, depriving many bottom-dwellers of food.

In the paleontologist's reasoning, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles:

(A) The first introduces the hypothesis spelled out by the paleontologist; the second is a judgment offered in spelling out that hypothesis.

(B) The first introduces the hypothesis proposed by the paleontologist; the second is a position that the paleontologist opposes.

(C) The first is an explanation challenged by the paleontologist; the second is an explanation proposed by the paleontologist.

(D) The first is a judgment advanced in support of a conclusion reached by the paleontologist; the second is that conclusion.

(E) The first is a generalization put forward by the paleontologist; the second presents certain exceptional cases in which that generalization does not hold.

C for me too

(A) The first introduces the hypothesis spelled out by the paleontologist; the second is a judgment offered in spelling out that hypothesis.

(B) The first introduces the hypothesis proposed by the paleontologist; the second is a position that the paleontologist opposes.

(C) The first is an explanation challenged by the paleontologist; the second is an explanation proposed by the paleontologist.

(D) The first is a judgment advanced in support of a conclusion reached by the paleontologist; the second is that conclusion.

(E) The first is a generalization put forward by the paleontologist; the second presents certain exceptional cases in which that generalization does not hold. (not sure but not precise enough for me)

I'm really stuck between A and C.

the cold probably did cause the population declines, though indirectly.

Doesn't this sentence represent what the author thinks? If so, why would C be correct?

Also, the "spelled out" part of choice A confuses me.

All in all, I'll go with A on this one.

IMO clearly A
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Ranga41, can you explain more? I'm still having trouble grasping this one.

hmmm... has me stumped still. Had me going for D, guess I didn't read A well enough! But I can't agree with C. Infact, the first is something the scientist agrees with and bases his hypothesis on. So, I thought both the bold phrases are judgements.
Ranga, pl. elaborate!