On a recent expedition to a remote region of northern Canada, scientis

E not for POE but also for logic: is the only answer that helps us saying: in the same area at the same age, someone hunted somthing with certain tools..............and if someone hunted something we can infeer that was there......resolving the paradox

What is the source of the question?Experts please help. I was able to eliminate a,b,c and d but still not convinced with answer option e.

I am guessing it is from platinum gmat , cos this is the explanation I found , on platinum gmat ..


The paradox: Northern Canada is quite cold and yet skeletal remains show evidence of experiencing very hot temperatures. This paradox could be explained by finding evidence that fires regularly occurred that would have subjected the bones to excruciatingly hot temperatures. If evidence existed that early humans from this time period hunted animals and started fires (implicitly for the purpose of cooking the animals--thereby creating skeletons of animals that experienced hot temperatures), a large step in explaining the paradox would be taken.

A. Unraveling the paradox depends on providing an explanation of how the skeletal remains experienced such hot temperatures yet this answer only heightens the paradox as it provides evidence that the skeletons' environment was much colder (not warmer) many years ago.
B. Although this provides an explanation of how "exactly one north Canadian species'" skeletons showed evidence of exposure to hot temperatures, it fails to account for why "many species from differing biological families [that] spanned about two thousand years showed" the same evidence of exposure to hot temperatures.
C. This answer provides an explanation for skeletons showing evidence of experiencing hot temperatures. However, this answer does not explain why this evidence appeared among skeletons whose date "spanned about two thousand years." Further, the fire occurred "a little over 103,000 years ago" while the original argument makes clear that some of the skeletons which showed evidence of experiencing hot temperatures dated after this fire (i.e., the skeletons were from 100,000 years ago and "spanned about two thousand years" while the fire occurred "over 103,000 years ago").
D. The paradox exists in skeletons dating back to 100,000 years ago. Consequently, explaining how a fire (and thus hot temperatures) could have existed "as early as 70,000 years ago" does not explain the paradox. In other words, this answer does not explain how the skeletons of animals 100,000 years old experienced hot temperatures (although it would explain how skeletons 70,000 years old experienced hot temperatures).
E. While this answer does not prove what caused the chared skeletal remains, it "best explains" how the skeletons experienced hot temperatures (i.e., the hunters cut wood and, implied in this, they started fires to cook animals).

I laughed really hard when i saw this question. Sometimes these outside test makers make such weird and funny questions that one cannot do anything except laugh and smile at their "ingenuity" (read- stupidity)

Anyway for me the answer is E (again lol )

A) Other scientific research released two years before the expedition showed that the remote region of northern Canada underwent considerable warming in the past 100,000 years. Global warming cannot produce 2000 Celsius or Fahrenheit whatever temperature is mentioned.

B) Chemical changes that naturally occur during the process of decay in only one north Canadian species produce the same evidence of the species' skeletons being exposed to hot temperatures as the expedition scientists found. Many species from differing family were exposed to 2000 celsius , not only one.

C) A little over 103,000 years ago, a large fire is known to have occurred in northern Canada.
Then the skeletal remain should not vary for 2000 years. They all should have a narrow time period.

D) Strong evidence exists that as early as 70,000 years ago, Homo sapiens around the world relied heavily on fire to cook animals.
HOLD IT . can be the answer

E) In the same expedition and in roughly the same layer of excavation, scientists found rudimentary wood cutting and hunting tools used by early humans.
Correct:- Yup , (same layer means same time period, as per geology one particular layer generally contains all elements that were present in the same area in the same time) Rudimentary wood cutting tools.. may be for woods for burning fire. Hunting tools . may be too hunt animals for food. Now since skeleton age range for 2000 years , it is quite possible that people hunt and cooked animals in that area and lived there for at least 2000 years.


BUT OVERALL LOL .. ROFL

On a recent expedition to a remote region of northern Canada, scientists uncovered skeletal remains from about 100,000 years ago. Surprisingly, all the skeletal remains, which included many species from differing biological families and spanned about two thousand years, showed evidence of experiencing temperatures in excess of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit (or 538 degrees Celsius).

Which of the following, if true, best explains the apparent paradox between the cold environment and the evidence of the bones experiencing hot temperatures?

A. Other scientific research released two years before the expedition showed that the remote region of northern Canada underwent considerable warming in the past 100,000 years. "Warming" does not explain high temperatures as the reason for the extinction of the species. Incorrect.

B. Chemical changes that naturally occur during the process of decay in only one north Canadian species produce the same evidence of the species' skeletons being exposed to hot temperatures as the expedition scientists found. The process of decay in "one" species can not be extrapolated to explain the reason of "all" skeletons of "many" species. Keywords here to focus-"all" & "many". Incorrect.

C. A little over 103,000 years ago, a large fire is known to have occurred in northern Canada. Cannot be used to explain the skeletons of species "spanning about two thousand years". Fire=103,000 years ago; skeleton of species=100,000 +/- 2000 years ago. The puzzle still has missing piece. Incorrect.

D. Strong evidence exists that as early as 70,000 years ago, Homo sapiens around the world relied heavily on fire to cook animals. We are not looking at 70,000 years ago. Incorrect.

E. In the same expedition and in roughly the same layer of excavation, scientists found rudimentary wood cutting and hunting tools used by early humans. Okay, so this means they needed wood and they were hunters. Can explain why "many" species showed evidence of high temperatures. Again, we wanted information about "many" species, not "all" species. Fits the bill. Correct.

How E is correct? Wood Cutting and hunting tools doesn't talk about bones experiencing hot temperatures. That is too much of outside knowledge. Can you explain reasoning behind this answer to the question? Do we see questions like these in actual GMAT?

GMATNinja Adi93 PPhoenix77

I thinks its E because according to E, humans used to live in that region for an extensive period of time (atleast 2000 yrs) and they used to hunt and cook, using wood cutting and hunting tools, many species from different biological families. This choice directly talks about the same layer of excavation and resolves the paradox between the cold environment and the evidence of the bones experiencing hot temperatures.

+1 if this helps!

(A) Other scientific research released two years before the expedition showed that the remote region of northern Canada underwent considerable warming in the past 100,000 years.
Warming is not possible to create temperatures over 1000 celsius


(B) Chemical changes that naturally occur during the process of decay in only one north Canadian species produce the same evidence of the species' skeletons being exposed to hot temperatures as the expedition scientists found.
One species cannot account for all the species


(C) A little over 103,000 years ago, a large fire is known to have occurred in northern Canada.
Large fire too vague what happened to the species


(D) Strong evidence exists that as early as 70,000 years ago, Homo sapiens around the world relied heavily on fire to cook animals.
This happened after 30000 years before consideration before period is not accounted


(E) In the same expedition and in roughly the same layer of excavation, scientists found rudimentary wood cutting and hunting tools used by early humans
Yes the tools were used in heating and cooking the same hence IMO E

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