Researches have noted that panda bears that have given birth

Responding to a PM:

X = giving birth to live young
Y = longer lifespan.
X and Y are observed to happen together. Conclusion: X causes Y.
In the abve argument, the assumption is: Y does not cause X. (If Y causes X, then X should not be causing Y)
i.e. (already) having longer life span does not cause giving birth to a live young.

"NOT" is missing in option C - C should be:

Pandas that are already likely to live longer are also NOT more likely to give birth to live young.

As a matter of fact, option C as mentioned in the question is a weakening statement:
X and Y happen together.
Conclusion: X causes Y.
In the above argument, a weakening statement is: Y causes X.

I completely agree to this explanation, but I would like to add a little more to it. Let me explain:

In causation, there are 4 cases:
1) X causes Y
2) Y causes X
3) Z causes X & Y
4) X & Y are not co-related.

Let's say Panda giving birth to live young = X, Longlife = Y. The author has concluded that X causes Y.

Now, in order to support this conclusion, any one of the below possibilities will be required:
i) something that directly supports 1) i.e. X causes Y, OR [
ii) something that negates 2) i.e. indicating Y didn't cause X, AND
iii) something that negates 3) i.e. indicating Z didn't cause X & Y, AND
iv) something that negates 4) i.e. indicating X & Y are correlated ]


The revised option C (with the NOT) i.e. "Pandas that are already likely to live longer are also NOT more likely to give birth to live young" is basically the negation of case 2), or in other words, possibility ii), which is absolutely correct. One may argue that either ii), iii) and iv) must be combined together or i) standalone be chosen in order to conclude the author's conclusion. But conclusion is not what is asked here. The question is asking about assumption, and ii) is one of the assumptions. Hence ii), i.e option C (with the NOT), is one of the CORRECT answers. Other correct answers could also have been assumptions that supported i) or iii) or iv). Those assumptions are not mentioned in the answer choices though.

I noticed some people chose option A. I found option A very tricky! Initially (when NOT wasn't there in option C), even I felt that option A was directly supporting case 1) [i.e. possibility i)], and hence was the correct answer. But I later thought that even if predators do not kill pandas that give birth, still that doesn't guarantee long life. Pandas may die early for some other reason. Option A) neither negates all possibilities of an early death, nor indicates any biological change in the pandas (e.g. release of some hormones) that, in general, would result in healthier life and /or longer life span. Hence A is incorrect.

Please let me know if anyone disagrees with the way I am thinking. Any feedback will help me correct/improve my way of thinking.
By the way, in case you agree, feel free to give kudos. That won't hurt!

i marked C ,mostly because other choices are just plain wrong. however C also seems wrong to me and i guess the maker of this question wanted to say the following C
C modified : Pandas that are already likely to live longer are NOT more likely to give birth to live young
i marked C believing that the question writer wanted to convey what i have written in modified C
u have cited the source as manhattan so i will ask u to check if u have done the mistake as MANHATTAN hardly makes mistakes!

I agree. Even I had the same line of reasoning when i answered the question. That is why I posted this question to see what others think.
The question is from Manhattan Foundations of GMAT Verbal Fifth Edition - Chapter 11 "Putting It All Together" Page 217, Question #4

agree with you . if the current version of this question is okay , then Answer should be D !

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Nothing seemed wrong to me with choice D. Infact modified version of choice C as explained by aditya8062 could also be right.

Manhattan experts can help us with this better.

c should be the correct one as

A-AGAINST THE EVIDENCE FIRST LINE OF THE ARGUMENT-ITS A GENERAL TRUTH GIVEN
B-OUT OS SCOPE -TAKING ABOUT MALE/FEMALE
C-CORRECT
D-IRRELEVANT
E-ATTRACTIVE BUT TRAP AS MULTIPLE BIRTH AND COMPARISON IS NOT DISCUSS IN THE ARGUMENT


GIVE KUDOS FOR APPRECIATION AND REPLY

Can you plz further paraphrase C still I am not able to understand what C is trying to say :s
Thx

C and D are the close answers , others all are irrelevant ..
But i think I will go with D as it talks about Female pandas , While the C option says that " Pandas that are already likely to live longer are also more likely to give birth to live young." but all pandas cant give birth to live young only female pandas can give ..

My Answer is D ..

Please make me understand whats wrong with D ?

can someone please illustrate A. and why it is wrong?

The modified C is the correct answer.

D is wrong as the author states that after giving birth scenario

Researches have noted that panda bears that have given birth to live young live longer in the wild. Therefore, these researches have concluded that giving birth to live young increases a panda's lifespan.

The argument makes which of the following assumptions?

A. Pandas that have given birth to live young will not be killed by predators. the conclusion is about giving birth to live long is the cause of increases a panda's lifespan. the argument is not about the other causes of death among pandas.
B. Since male pandas cannot give birth, female pandas live longer than male pandas. I think this information is what we can infer from the argument. actually, it does not add any new information to the argument
C. Pandas that are already likely to live longer are also more likely to give birth to live young. if we negate this option then the conclusion will fall apart.
D. Female pandas are not likely to die while giving birth. the argument does not talk about the possibilities that might happen to pandas while giving birth
E. Pandas that have given birth to multiple live young are likely to live even longer than pandas that have given birth to only a single live offspring.might be true. so, cannot be an assumption

Hello,

IMO D has to b it...
its bcoz,

C has a classic wrong answer pattern like-
Since A happens bcz of B,then B also happens cz of A.

Jus go through this negation of choice D-

Female pandas are likely to die as they give birth...! its exact opposite of conclusion that pandas that give birth live longer..!
This negation just kills the answer choice as well as the arguement structure..!may b modified version of that answer option stated above would have created more confusion..nevertheless,D seem to be it..!




Please consider kudos if anyone agrees with my explanation..
_________________

Wrong option.

The word NOT is missing in option C.
_________________

Should not this question be corrected? I like C, that's the flaw in the line of reasoning. They never evaluated the possibility of C. It's clearly not an assumption.

I just googled it. https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... 69-15.html

Manhattan Staff agrees that the word NOT is missing in option C. The question has been deleted in newer versions of the book as it seems.

we need an assumption here ...
even if there was "not" here option c Seems like an inference .
If the pandas-obviously females that give birth ,universal truth-were to die then its life span doesn't increase. It affects the conclusion. if the Pandas were to live its life span increases. It does affect the conclusion.
So this has got to be the assumption.

@carcass-Your thoughts on this please

C in its current form cant be the right answer. It has to be modified as mentioned by the expert above!