Bunuel
Several years ago, the number of wood bison became so low that conservationists began breeding the wood bison in an enclosed refuge. In this time, the number of wood bison has tripled and, according to conservationists, this number is enough for a species to remain viable in the wild. Yet since the wood bison’s habitat is still imperiled, conservationists plan to move the wood bison 2,000 miles away, where the American buffalo, a distinct species, flourishes. The conservationists predict that such a plan will allow for the long-term viability of the wood bison as a species.
Which of the following, if true, calls into question the conservationist’s prediction?
A The American buffalo and the wood bison can thrive off of the same resources.
B No wood bison has ever been within 1,000 miles of the area in which the conservationists are planning to move the herd.
C The American buffalo and the wood bison readily mingle, and, in the past, this has lead the two species to mix so that the number of actual wood bison declines steadily.
D American buffalo once shared territory with the wood bison, but the American buffalo’s territory slowly moved south so that now the American buffalo no longer inhabits the same area as the wood bison.
E Not all of the predators that hunt the wood bison hunt the American buffalo.
Magoosh Official Explanation:
Premise #1 – Wood bison has been rehabilitated to the point that it can live again in the wild.
Premise #2 – The wood bison’s current habitat, which led to a decrease in its numbers, is not viable.
Conclusion: Move the wood bison to American bison’s viable habitat to ensure its long-term growth.
(A) This answer choice suggests that the wood bison will do very well in its new habitat.
(B) Just because the bison has not been near the new habitat does not mean that it will not be able to do well there.
(C) If the buffalos intermingle, then the number of wood bison, as the answer choice states, will decline. That result is the exact opposite of the expected goal: to increase the number of bison in the wild.
(D) Though the two animals no longer share the same habitat, this does not mean that the wood bison won’t thrive in the American buffalo’s current environment.
(E) doesn’t really tell us anything about the American buffalo’s habitat. Sure, the wood bison may have predators in its native habitat that do not American buffalo. It could very well be that those predators do not exist in the American buffalo’s habitat. Had (E) said, “there are predators in the buffalo’s environment that do not hunt the buffalo but hunt the bison”, then that would weaken the conclusion.