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Bunuel
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Scientists have discovered a gene that controls whether an individual 31 Jul 2025, 22:00
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35% (medium)

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72% (01:50) correct 28% (01:51) wrong based on 304 sessions

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Scientists have discovered a gene that controls whether an individual is monogamous. They took a gene from the monogamous prairie vole and implanted it into its more promiscuous relative, the meadow vole. Thereafter, the meadow voles with the new gene became monogamous.

Which one of the following, if true, would provide the most support for the argument’s conclusion?

(A) Studies on humans and other mammals have shown that receptors for the hormone vasopressin play a role in autism, drug addiction, and the formation of romantic attachments.

(B) Prairie voles typically form lifelong partnerships, which scientists have linked to an increased number of receptors for the hormone vasopressin.

(C) Meadow voles live in a harsher environment than prairie voles and cannot afford to pass up opportunities to mate as often as possible.

(D) The scientists used a harmless virus to capture the gene and transfer it into the meadow voles.

(E) The meadow voles that had the prairie vole gene implanted in them were released into and observed in the same habitat in which they had previously lived.


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Scientists have discovered a gene that controls whether an individual 02 Aug 2025, 11:09
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how does E support the answer. I choose option B?
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Scientists have discovered a gene that controls whether an individual 03 Aug 2025, 00:52
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Can someone explain why it was E, Shouldn't the argument support the conclusion - 'Scientists have discovered a gene that controls whether an individual is monogamous'
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Scientists have discovered a gene that controls whether an individual 03 Aug 2025, 06:00
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Bunuel
Scientists have discovered a gene that controls whether an individual is monogamous. They took a gene from the monogamous prairie vole and implanted it into its more promiscuous relative, the meadow vole. Thereafter, the meadow voles with the new gene became monogamous.

Which one of the following, if true, would provide the most support for the argument’s conclusion?

(A) Studies on humans and other mammals have shown that receptors for the hormone vasopressin play a role in autism, drug addiction, and the formation of romantic attachments.

(B) Prairie voles typically form lifelong partnerships, which scientists have linked to an increased number of receptors for the hormone vasopressin.

(C) Meadow voles live in a harsher environment than prairie voles and cannot afford to pass up opportunities to mate as often as possible.

(D) The scientists used a harmless virus to capture the gene and transfer it into the meadow voles.

(E) The meadow voles that had the prairie vole gene implanted in them were released into and observed in the same habitat in which they had previously lived.
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:



Look for information that supports the assumption that the meadow voles’ change in behavior was caused by the implanted gene.

Choice (A) is wrong. The choice doesn’t relate the effects of the hormone to the gene that makes meadow voles monogamous.

Choice (B) explains what’s up with prairie voles but not with meadow voles, and neither’s genes are mentioned.

Choice (C) explains why meadow voles are typically promiscuous but says nothing about whether a gene plays a part in that.

Choice (D) says nothing about whether the transferred gene is the cause of the monogamous behavior.

Choice (E) provides the most support for the assertion that the scientists’ work with genes was the factor that turned the formerly promiscuous meadow voles into models of monogamy because it rules out a possible other important factor that may have explained the change (different surroundings).

Choice (E) is the correct answer.
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Scientists have discovered a gene that controls whether an individual 08 Aug 2025, 00:09
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Let’s break this down carefully.

The argument’s conclusion is that a gene controls whether an individual is monogamous.
The evidence is that when the prairie vole gene was implanted into meadow voles, they became monogamous.

To strengthen the argument, we need an option that makes it clearer that the change in behavior was due to the gene itself (and not due to environment, method of implantation, or other factors).

Option analysis:

(A) Mentions vasopressin’s role in various behaviors, but it’s about humans and other mammals, not directly about the implanted voles. Adds some plausibility but doesn’t directly support that the gene caused monogamy.

(B) Connects prairie voles’ monogamy to an increased number of vasopressin receptors. This supports the mechanism by which the gene might work, but it doesn’t confirm that the implanted gene caused the change in meadow voles.

(C) Explains meadow voles’ natural promiscuity in terms of environment, which could weaken the genetic argument (since it suggests environment is more important). So not supportive.

(D) Tells us about the method (harmless virus) — irrelevant to whether the gene actually caused monogamy.

(E) Confirms that the meadow voles with the implanted gene were observed in the same habitat they had always lived in. This rules out the environment as the reason for their new behavior and directly supports the claim that the gene was the cause.

Best Answer: (E)
Because it strengthens the causal link between the gene and monogamy by eliminating a key alternative explanation (environmental change).

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Bunuel
Scientists have discovered a gene that controls whether an individual is monogamous. They took a gene from the monogamous prairie vole and implanted it into its more promiscuous relative, the meadow vole. Thereafter, the meadow voles with the new gene became monogamous.

Which one of the following, if true, would provide the most support for the argument’s conclusion?

(A) Studies on humans and other mammals have shown that receptors for the hormone vasopressin play a role in autism, drug addiction, and the formation of romantic attachments.

(B) Prairie voles typically form lifelong partnerships, which scientists have linked to an increased number of receptors for the hormone vasopressin.

(C) Meadow voles live in a harsher environment than prairie voles and cannot afford to pass up opportunities to mate as often as possible.

(D) The scientists used a harmless virus to capture the gene and transfer it into the meadow voles.

(E) The meadow voles that had the prairie vole gene implanted in them were released into and observed in the same habitat in which they had previously lived.


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