poorvi125
I think this is a
poor quality question and the answer's explanation doesn't justify.
The passage clearly states that for them to develop into bigger sized abalones, the need to focus
more on mating and
less on finding food. Therefore, option C, which states that their sources of food increased, doesn't help the smaller abalones to grow into bigger sized ones.
GMATNinjaGuidance please
Official LSAT and GMAT questions are both extremely high quality -- you can feel confident that the logic on these questions is sound.
Here, we have a discrepancy: large abalones develop from smaller ones when they spend
less energy on finding food and avoiding predators, and
more energy on competition from mating. Despite this, large abalones developed when a predator (otters) moved into the area.
What could resolve this discrepancy?
(C) tells us that the otters eat OTHER animals, with the result that it was easier for the abalones to get food. If its easier to get food, then
the abalones spend less energy getting food. That's compatible with the development of large abalone.
This gives us a nice explanation for why large abalone developed when the otters arrived, and thus helps to resolve the discrepancy.
I hope that helps!