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It is known from cave paintings and other evidence that the hunting people occupying the Bax Cave area in Country X tens of thousands of years ago repeatedly set fire to the surrounding area. Archaeologists hypothesize that because the fires caused later plant growth on the land, the hunters set the fires in order to attract herbivorous prey species. Such actions, they claim, are evidence for the mental capacity to delay gratification for weeks, months, or even years.
Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in evaluating the archaeologists’ claim?
The archaeologists argue that the hunters set fires to cause later plant growth, which would attract herbivores only after a delay, and therefore that the hunters had the mental capacity to delay gratification for a long time. The key issue is whether the fires had some more immediate hunting benefit. If they did, then the fires would not be good evidence of delayed gratification.
A. Whether the Bax Cave area is susceptible to fires caused by lightning strikes
This matters somewhat for whether the fires were human-caused, but the passage already says the people repeatedly set the fires. So this does not directly test the claim about delayed gratification.
B. Whether remains can be found of hunting tools from tens of thousands of years ago in or near the Bax Cave
This is not very useful. The passage already assumes these people were hunters. The issue is not whether they hunted, but why they set the fires.
C. Whether in the immediate aftermath of fires in the Bax Cave area, animals sought by hunters came to seek prey driven out of dens or other shelters
This is the most useful thing to determine. If fires brought hunted animals quickly into the area right after a burn, then the fires may have been set for an immediate payoff, not for vegetation growth weeks, months, or years later. That would directly weaken the archaeologists’ claim.
D. Whether people occupying the Bax Cave tens of thousands of years ago consumed plants adapted to fire ecologies
This is not central. The claim is about attracting herbivorous prey, not about the people eating fire-adapted plants themselves.
E. Whether the mental capacity to delay gratification for weeks, months, or even years was exhibited by contemporaries of the people occupying the Bax Cave tens of thousands of years ago
This is much less useful. Even if contemporaries had that capacity, that would not show that the Bax Cave people did. And if contemporaries lacked it, that still would not settle this specific case.
Answer: (C)
Which of the following would it be most useful to determine in evaluating the archaeologists’ claim?
The archaeologists argue that the hunters set fires to cause later plant growth, which would attract herbivores only after a delay, and therefore that the hunters had the mental capacity to delay gratification for a long time. The key issue is whether the fires had some more immediate hunting benefit. If they did, then the fires would not be good evidence of delayed gratification.
A. Whether the Bax Cave area is susceptible to fires caused by lightning strikes
This matters somewhat for whether the fires were human-caused, but the passage already says the people repeatedly set the fires. So this does not directly test the claim about delayed gratification.
B. Whether remains can be found of hunting tools from tens of thousands of years ago in or near the Bax Cave
This is not very useful. The passage already assumes these people were hunters. The issue is not whether they hunted, but why they set the fires.
C. Whether in the immediate aftermath of fires in the Bax Cave area, animals sought by hunters came to seek prey driven out of dens or other shelters
This is the most useful thing to determine. If fires brought hunted animals quickly into the area right after a burn, then the fires may have been set for an immediate payoff, not for vegetation growth weeks, months, or years later. That would directly weaken the archaeologists’ claim.
D. Whether people occupying the Bax Cave tens of thousands of years ago consumed plants adapted to fire ecologies
This is not central. The claim is about attracting herbivorous prey, not about the people eating fire-adapted plants themselves.
E. Whether the mental capacity to delay gratification for weeks, months, or even years was exhibited by contemporaries of the people occupying the Bax Cave tens of thousands of years ago
This is much less useful. Even if contemporaries had that capacity, that would not show that the Bax Cave people did. And if contemporaries lacked it, that still would not settle this specific case.
Answer: (C)
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