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23 Dec 2025, 09:00
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31% (02:01) correct
69%
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In analyzing the fossil record, paleontologists have found that species with broader geographic ranges tend to survive longer than those with more localized habitats. One explanation is that widespread species are more resilient to localized environmental disturbances, such as droughts or disease outbreaks. Consequently, researchers argue that species with larger habitat ranges are more likely to persist over evolutionary timescales than those with limited distribution.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the reasoning in the argument above?
A. Species with broad geographic ranges often experience high levels of genetic divergence across subpopulations, making them more vulnerable to speciation and eventual extinction.
B. Several species that went extinct during past global extinction events had significantly larger habitat ranges than many surviving species.
C. Localized species are often better adapted to niche ecosystems and may evolve specialized traits that increase their chances of surviving specific environmental changes.
D. Fossil evidence is incomplete and may overrepresent species with larger ranges, which are more likely to leave behind fossil traces across regions.
E. Some species with limited geographic ranges have persisted for tens of millions of years without significant change.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the reasoning in the argument above?
A. Species with broad geographic ranges often experience high levels of genetic divergence across subpopulations, making them more vulnerable to speciation and eventual extinction.
B. Several species that went extinct during past global extinction events had significantly larger habitat ranges than many surviving species.
C. Localized species are often better adapted to niche ecosystems and may evolve specialized traits that increase their chances of surviving specific environmental changes.
D. Fossil evidence is incomplete and may overrepresent species with larger ranges, which are more likely to leave behind fossil traces across regions.
E. Some species with limited geographic ranges have persisted for tens of millions of years without significant change.
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23 Dec 2025, 10:00
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GMAT Club Official Explanation:
The Core Logic of the Argument: To find the correct weakener, we first need to identify the specific conclusion and the evidence used to support it. The argument concludes that species with larger habitat ranges are more likely to persist over evolutionary time. The evidence for this is the "fossil record," which allegedly shows a correlation between broad ranges and longer survival. The author proposes a causal mechanism: broad ranges help species survive localized problems like drought. To weaken this, we need to show that the correlation in the fossil record might be misleading or that the evidence is flawed.
(A) Incorrect. This option suggests that broad ranges lead to speciation (evolving into new species) and eventual extinction. While this sounds like a scientific objection, it attacks the mechanism rather than the data. Even if speciation occurs, it doesn't necessarily disprove the observation that these species tend to last longer before that happens. Furthermore, in evolutionary terms, "speciation" is often considered a form of survival (the lineage continues), whereas the argument is focused on total extinction. Option D is a more fundamental attack on the evidence itself.
(B) Incorrect. This answer choice falls into the "outliers" trap. The argument claims that species with broad ranges "tend" to survive longer—a general statistical trend. Pointing out "several" specific exceptions where widespread species died out does not disprove the general rule. Additionally, this option mentions "global extinction events." The argument specifically argues that broad ranges protect against localized disturbances. Global catastrophes that wipe out the entire planet would kill everything regardless of range size, so this doesn't actually attack the specific logic regarding local resilience.
(C) Incorrect. This option explains why localized species might survive well in stable environments (because they are specialized). However, being "better adapted" to a specific niche is actually a disadvantage when that niche changes or disappears. The argument is about resilience to change over long periods. Just because localized species have advantages in the short term does not mean they survive longer on evolutionary timescales, so this statement does not effectively undermine the conclusion.
(D) Correct. This is the correct answer because it attacks the validity of the data source (the fossil record). The argument relies entirely on the observation that widespread species appear to survive longer in the fossil record. This option points out a "sampling bias": species that live in many different places are simply more likely to leave fossils behind than species that live in only one place. Therefore, widespread species might not actually live longer; they just look like they do because we find more of them. If the evidence is an illusion caused by preservation bias, the conclusion falls apart.
(E) Incorrect. Like Option B, this falls into the "anecdotal evidence" trap. The argument is about a general tendency across all species. Identifying "some" species with limited ranges that managed to survive a long time is merely finding a few exceptions to the rule. A general trend can still be valid even if there are a few exceptions, so this statement is not strong enough to undermine the overall reasoning.
General Discussion
23 Dec 2025, 09:31
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Option D, because if the data source on which the conclusion is based itself is not correct than the conclusion will weaken. key assumption is correctness of fossil records.
