Sea turtles nest only at their own birthplaces. After hatching on the

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Sea turtles nest only at their own birthplaces. After hatching on the beach, the turtles enter the water to begin their far-ranging migration, only returning to their birthplace to nest some 15 to 30 years later. It has been hypothesized that newborn sea turtles learn the smell of their environment, and it is this smell that stimulates the turtles to return to nest.

Which one of the following, if true, would cast the most serious doubt on the hypothesis in the passage?

(A) Beaches on which sea turtles nest tend to be in secluded locations such as on islands.
(B) Sea turtles exposed to a variety of environments under experimental conditions preferred the environment that contained sand form their own birthplaces.
(C) Electronic tags attached to sea turtles did not alter their nesting patterns.
(D) Unlike other types of turtles, sea turtles have a well-developed sense of smell.
(E) Sea turtles that have their sense of smell destroyed by exposure to petroleum products returned to nest at their own birthplaces.

Leadership · Answer

Sea turtles nest only at their own birthplaces. After hatching on the beach, the turtles enter the water to begin their far-ranging migration, only returning to their birthplace to nest some 15 to 30 years later. It has been hypothesized that newborn sea turtles learn the smell of their environment, and it is this smell that stimulates the turtles to return to nest.

Which one of the following, if true, would cast the most serious doubt on the hypothesis in the passage?

(A) Beaches on which sea turtles nest tend to be in secluded locations such as on islands.
(B) Sea turtles exposed to a variety of environments under experimental conditions preferred the environment that contained sand form their own birthplaces.
(C) Electronic tags attached to sea turtles did not alter their nesting patterns.
(D) Unlike other types of turtles, sea turtles have a well-developed sense of smell.
(E) Sea turtles that have their sense of smell destroyed by exposure to petroleum products returned to nest at their own birthplaces.

(B) Sea turtles exposed to a variety of environments under experimental conditions preferred the environment that contained sand form their own birthplaces. - Out of focus

(C) Electronic tags attached to sea turtles did not alter their nesting patterns. - Out of focus

(D) Unlike other types of turtles, sea turtles have a well-developed sense of smell. - General Info. No effect

(E) Sea turtles that have their sense of smell destroyed by exposure to petroleum products returned to nest at their own birthplaces......which means the source of reaching their nest...i.e smelling is lost because of some reason......so this weakens the conclusion of reaching the nest through smelling....

OA:E

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unraveled · Answer

Sea turtles nest only at their own birthplaces. After hatching on the beach, the turtles enter the water to begin their far-ranging migration, only returning to their birthplace to nest some 15 to 30 years later. It has been hypothesized that newborn sea turtles learn the smell of their environment, and it is this smell that stimulates the turtles to return to nest.
Which one of the following, if true, would cast the most serious doubt on the hypothesis in the passage?

Argument says that the smell is responsible for sea turtles returning to their nesting place even after 15-20 years. Something other than smell, if responsible, would definitely weaken the claim.

(A) Beaches on which sea turtles nest tend to be in secluded locations such as on islands. - WRONG. It strengthens the argument instead for the smell is so helpful that secluded locations is identifiable by sea turtles even after 15-20 years.
(B) Sea turtles exposed to a variety of environments under experimental conditions preferred the environment that contained sand form their own birthplaces. - WRONG. Even an exposure to various types of environments the turtles prefer that same smell from its birthplace. Strengthens. 
(C) Electronic tags attached to sea turtles did not alter their nesting patterns. - WRONG. Surely it does not weaken at all, however, may strengthen instead.
(D) Unlike other types of turtles, sea turtles have a well-developed sense of smell. - WRONG. Does not offer anything to weaken/strengthen. 
(E) Sea turtles that have their sense of smell destroyed by exposure to petroleum products returned to nest at their own birthplaces. - CORRECT. Even after losing sense of smell some turtles return to their birthplace signifies that there is something other than smell with the help of which turtles are able to do so.

IMO Answer E.

exc4libur · Answer

ARGUMENT
  sea turtles return to nest at their birthplaces because of smell.

WEAKEN

Ans (E) if they return to their nest's without sense of smell, then smelling is not answer.

globaldesi · Answer

Sea turtles nest only at their own birthplaces. After hatching on the beach, the turtles enter the water to begin their far-ranging migration, only returning to their birthplace to nest some 15 to 30 years later. It has been hypothesized that newborn sea turtles learn the smell of their environment, and it is this smell that stimulates the turtles to return to nest.

Which one of the following, if true, would cast the most serious doubt on the hypothesis in the passage?
 Question premise states that it is the smell that is responsible for sea turtles return. To break it we have to attack this assumption 
(A) Beaches on which sea turtles nest tend to be in secluded locations such as on islands. No impact 
(B) Sea turtles exposed to a variety of environments under experimental conditions preferred the environment that contained sand form their own birthplaces. Strengthens the impact of smell 
(C) Electronic tags attached to sea turtles did not alter their nesting patterns. This also strengthens as it lends support  
(D) Unlike other types of turtles, sea turtles have a well-developed sense of smell. again strengthens  
(E) Sea turtles that have their sense of smell destroyed by exposure to petroleum products returned to nest at their own birthplaces. This one weakens that it is not the smell but something else that enabled sea turtles to return

Tanmaysaxena97 · Answer

E should be the answer!
As it casts doubt saying that hey! There are sea turtles which returned even after having their sense of smell destroyed.

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churuand · Answer

the author concluded that the smell is what brings the turtles back. So in order to weaken it, one needs to find a statement that they can trace back without the sense of smell or other things that help them so. Only option E does so. so E is the correct answer

BhishmaNaidu99 · Answer

IMO E 
The argument conclusion says that its the Smell of the place that makes them return to the birth place.
To weaken the statement , we have to sea for the option that weakens this conclusion.

A. The place where the birth location locates is irrelevant to the argument, we are concerned about the smell and its effect
B. The type of environment it chooses is some how strengthens the argument, if it identifies the environment based on smell, or else we consider this option also as not relevant.
C. Electronic tags is out of scope.
D. It says in support to argument that it has good sense of smell.
E . CORRECT, this option says even though their smell of sense is destroyed by the petroleum products the turtles still reached the nesting place., this says there is some other reason that could be the reason for their behaviour.

madgmat2019 · Answer

(E) Sea turtles that have their sense of smell destroyed by exposure to petroleum products returned to nest at their own birthplaces......which means the source of reaching their nest...i.e smelling is lost because of some reason......so this weakens the conclusion of reaching the nest through smelling....

OA:E

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OA:E

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Sea turtles nest only at their own birthplaces. After hatching on the

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Sea turtles nest only at their own birthplaces. After hatching on the

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