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Re: A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with [#permalink]
broall wrote:
A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with many other species, has been the globally catastrophic collision of a large asteroid with the Earth. Supporting evidence is an extraterrestrial chemical element in a layer of dust found worldwide at a geological level laid down contemporaneously with the supported event. A new competing theory contends that any asteroid impact was irrelevant, because it was massive volcanic activity that caused the extinctions by putting enough dust into the atmosphere to cool the planet. The Deccan region of India contains extensive volcanic flows that occurred within the same time period as the supposed asteroid impact and the extinctions.

Which one of the following, if true, most strongly indicates that the asteroid-impact theory is at least incomplete, if not false?

(A) Large concentrations of dinosaur nests with fossil eggs found in Alberta indicate that at least some species of dinosaurs congregated in large groups during some part of their lives.

(B) Dinosaur remains indicate that some species of dinosaur could have migrated in herds over wide ranges, so that they could have traveled to escape the local effects of certain catastrophes.

(C) Legends from many cultures, such as the Greek legend that Cadmus raised an army by sowing dragons’ teeth in the ground, show that various ancient peoples worldwide were familiar with the fossils of dinosaurs.

(D) In the Gobi desert in China, where now only small animals can eke out an existence, fossil dinosaur skeletons 27 feet long were found in circumstances indicating that the climate there was as dry when the dinosaurs lived as it is now.

(E) The fossil record in Montana from below the layer of extraterrestrial dust shows a diminution over time in dinosaur species from 35 to 13, and dinosaur teeth found above the dust layer show a diminution in species from 13 to 5.

Source: LSAT

Same passage with different stem question: LINK


Hi Broall,
Can u kindly explain option E. I felt Option D somehow suggests volcanic activity is not the reason. As the region is almost as dry now as it was earlier, and so there is no cooling effect and thus we cant ignore the asteroid theory.
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Re: A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with [#permalink]
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Clearly E.
Only E provides support to both the theories without refuting one. D refutes the second theory(dust has resulted in cooling of the planet) stating that the temperature hasn't changed.
E provides evidence that both the theories have impacted in extinction because the fossil both above and below the extraterrestrial dust layer shows diminution.
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Re: A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with [#permalink]
TaN1213 wrote:
Clearly E.
Only E provides support to both the theories without refuting one. D refutes the second theory(dust has resulted in cooling of the planet) stating that the temperature hasn't changed.
E provides evidence that both the theories have impacted in extinction because the fossil both above and below the extraterrestrial dust layer shows diminution.


Hi Tan123,
Can u kindly explain that how E supports both the theories?
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Re: A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with [#permalink]
sunny91 wrote:
TaN1213 wrote:
Clearly E.
Only E provides support to both the theories without refuting one. D refutes the second theory(dust has resulted in cooling of the planet) stating that the temperature hasn't changed.
E provides evidence that both the theories have impacted in extinction because the fossil both above and below the extraterrestrial dust layer shows diminution.


Hi Tan123,
Can u kindly explain that how E supports both the theories?


Supporting evidence is an extraterrestrial chemical element in a layer of dust found worldwide at a geological level laid down contemporaneously with the supported event.

A new competing theory contends that any asteroid impact was irrelevant, because it was massive volcanic activity that caused the extinctions by putting enough dust into the atmosphere to cool the planet.


what is E saying

(E) The fossil record in Montana from below the layer of extraterrestrial dust shows a diminution over time in dinosaur species from 35 to 13,
and dinosaur teeth found above the dust layer show a diminution in species from 13 to 5.

By this statement - we can infer there were two layers of two different composition of dust.

first layer - -- layer of dust formed by the volcanic activity

second layer - layer of dust formed by extraterrestrial chemical element

hence it is supporting both the theories of extinction.
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Re: A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with [#permalink]
E basically says that the dinosaurs were wiped out at much faster pace before the extraterrestrial dust laid down on the surface than after it appeared on the surface. Thus this suggests that the extinction was started by something else.

(E) The fossil record in Montana from below the layer of extraterrestrial dust shows a diminution over time in dinosaur species from 35 to 13 (effect: 22), and dinosaur teeth found above the dust layer show a diminution in species from 13 to 5 (effect: 8).
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Re: A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with [#permalink]
Skywalker18


Quote:
(C) is going, going, gone! Way out of scope!


That's some IPL (Cricket if you don't know what I mean) right there.!!
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Re: A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with [#permalink]
broall wrote:
A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with many other species, has been the globally catastrophic collision of a large asteroid with the Earth. Supporting evidence is an extraterrestrial chemical element in a layer of dust found worldwide at a geological level laid down contemporaneously with the supported event. A new competing theory contends that any asteroid impact was irrelevant, because it was massive volcanic activity that caused the extinctions by putting enough dust into the atmosphere to cool the planet. The Deccan region of India contains extensive volcanic flows that occurred within the same time period as the supposed asteroid impact and the extinctions.

Which one of the following, if true, most strongly indicates that the asteroid-impact theory is at least incomplete, if not false?


(A) Large concentrations of dinosaur nests with fossil eggs found in Alberta indicate that at least some species of dinosaurs congregated in large groups during some part of their lives.

(B) Dinosaur remains indicate that some species of dinosaur could have migrated in herds over wide ranges, so that they could have traveled to escape the local effects of certain catastrophes.

(C) Legends from many cultures, such as the Greek legend that Cadmus raised an army by sowing dragons’ teeth in the ground, show that various ancient peoples worldwide were familiar with the fossils of dinosaurs.

(D) In the Gobi desert in China, where now only small animals can eke out an existence, fossil dinosaur skeletons 27 feet long were found in circumstances indicating that the climate there was as dry when the dinosaurs lived as it is now.

(E) The fossil record in Montana from below the layer of extraterrestrial dust shows a diminution over time in dinosaur species from 35 to 13, and dinosaur teeth found above the dust layer show a diminution in species from 13 to 5.


Source: LSAT

Same passage with different stem question: LINK

D has two things that makes is wrong.
1. What role knowing of climate then and now plays to help us know which theory is acceptable based on its completeness? At the most, there is no relation from the way D is written or it gives information.
2. If the climate there was as dry when the dinosaurs lived as it is now both the theories are false. The dinosaurs could have vanished because of some other reason OR a far sighted, unimaginable possibility would have been that dinosaurs were still living. In any case the asteroid-impact theory is not at all a cause for extinction.
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Re: A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with [#permalink]
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Re: A favored theory to explain the extinction of dinosaurs, together with [#permalink]
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