Researchers have been studying the skeletal remains of a mastodon

Question

Researchers have been studying the skeletal remains of a mastodon excavated from the Overmyer farm in Indiana in the United States. Previously, scientists claimed that mastodons whose remains were discovered in former wetland environments, like the Overmyer site, had drowned after breaking through a quaking bog-a pond covered by a mat of floating vegetation. This site's sedimentary evidence, however, indicates that the area had been a small open-water pond at the time the mastodon died.

Another common claim is that mastodons died after becoming mired in swamps. The wet areas that mastodons frequented may have provided abundant opportunities to become irretrievably stuck, but an animal adapted for feeding in wetlands generally should be able to avoid such a fate. Furthermore, based on the depth and distribution of its remains, the Overmyer mastodon's hind leg would have been mired in about forty-seven centimeters of pond mud, or less than halfway up its lower leg. A healthy animal would plausibly have to sink much further than mid-shin to become irretrievably stuck. And, if the mastodon had become mired, more of its bones would have been buried and preserved in closer association with each other. The researchers concluded that the bones may have gradually come loose and sunk to the bottom of the pond from the floating carcass as it decomposed.   1 
1. The passage most strongly suggests that mastodons

A. likely fed in wetlands 
B. were not strong swimmers 
C. had little buoyancy 
D. often became mired in swamps 
E. tended to avoid mats of floating vegetation

2 
2. It can most reasonably be inferred from the passage that the bones of the Overmyer mastodon that were found by the researchers

A. were not preserved as well as other mastodon remains found in former wetland environments
B. came mostly from the leg of the mastodon
C. were somewhat scattered in the excavation site
D. closely resembled mastodon remains found by other researchers
E. were discovered buried in more than forty-seven centimeters of mud

3 
3. Which of the following most accurately describes the role of the second sentence in the passage?

A. It presents a hypothesis that information in the next sentence is meant to disconfirm.
B. It presents evidence that is meant to refute a hypothesis presented in the next sentence.
C. It elaborates on evidence presented in the previous sentence.
D. It presents a hypothesis for which evidence is presented in the previous sentence.
E. It presents a hypothesis for which evidence is presented in the next sentence.

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sannidhyar · Answer

hi can someone help with the 2nd Question "it can most reasonably be inferred that..........."

maximilius491 · Answer

It can most reasonably be inferred from the passage that the bones of the Overmyer mastodon that were found by the researchers

A. were not preserved as well as other mastodon remains found in former wetland environments
Wrong  -  The passage does not compare the preservation quality of the Overmyer mastodon's bones with those found in other wetland environments. It focuses on the depth and distribution of the remains rather than their state of preservation.

B. came mostly from the leg of the mastodon
Wrong - The passage mentions the hind leg in the context of how deeply the mastodon would need to be mired to become stuck, but it does not state that the bones found were primarily from the leg.

C. were somewhat scattered in the excavation site
 Correct -  researchers' conclusion about the gradual sinking of bones from the decomposing carcass, which would lead to a more scattered distribution of remains

D. closely resembled mastodon remains found by other researchers
wrong - There is no mention in the passage of bones compare to those found by other researchers.

E. were discovered buried in more than forty-seven centimeters of mud
wrong - only suggests that more bones would have been buried and preserved together. It implies that the actual depth is less than 47cm

Hood23 · Answer

Hi
Can someone help with question no. 3 . Which of the following most accurately describes the role of the second sentence in the passage?

VerbalBot · Answer

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Researchers have been studying the skeletal remains of a mastodon

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Researchers have been studying the skeletal remains of a mastodon