For most species of animals, the number of individuals in the species

5. The author most probably regards the tamarins studied in Manu National Park as

Difficulty Level: 750

Explanation

Inference

This question requires you to make an inference from what the author says about the tamarins studied in Manu National Park to a claim about how the author most likely regards these tamarins. The author considers certain information that has been gathered about the two tamarin species studied in the park, and on the basis of that, makes claims about tamarins in general (note that the author elsewhere in the passage simply refers to “tamarins” without qualification, i.e., without referring specifically to “the tamarins studied in Manu National Park”). This suggests that the author would regard the tamarins studied in the park as being typical of tamarins generally, at least in the ways discussed.

A. It is possible that the two tamarin species studied in the park are endangered, but apart from noting the surprisingly small number of individuals belonging to the species, there is no information that would suggest that they are endangered, and the mere fact that the number of members is relatively small compared to the number of members in other species is not sufficient to indicate that they are endangered, as that number could nonetheless be stable or even growing.

B. Correct. ‘The author does not specifically mention anything that would indicate that these tamarins are atypical of tamarins in general, and appears to make inferences about tamarins in general on the basis of the two species studied in the park. The author would not be justified in making such inferences if the author believed that the tamarins observed in the park were not in fact typical.

C. The author does not give any indication that these species are unusually docile, and in fact suggests the opposite by indicating that tamarins vigorously expel any intruders from their territories.

D. The author does note some ways in which these tamarin species are unusual among primates, but does not indicate that they are “the most unusual primates anywhere.” The author, in fact, indicates that in one of the ways that these species are unusual—their relative scarcity despite their small body size—another primate species, the pygmy marmoset, is even more unusual.

E. Because the author appears to make some inferences from information about the tamarins studied in the park to claims about tamarins in general, the author does not seem to regard the tamarins studied in the park as too small a sample to be significant.

The correct answer is B.