Last visit was: 25 Apr 2024, 11:51 It is currently 25 Apr 2024, 11:51

Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
SORT BY:
Date
Tags:
Show Tags
Hide Tags
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 92914
Own Kudos [?]: 618997 [1]
Given Kudos: 81595
Send PM
SVP
SVP
Joined: 24 Nov 2016
Posts: 1720
Own Kudos [?]: 1344 [1]
Given Kudos: 607
Location: United States
Send PM
Senior Manager
Senior Manager
Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Posts: 267
Own Kudos [?]: 216 [0]
Given Kudos: 53
Concentration: Leadership, Sustainability
Schools: Stanford
Send PM
CEO
CEO
Joined: 07 Mar 2019
Posts: 2554
Own Kudos [?]: 1813 [1]
Given Kudos: 763
Location: India
WE:Sales (Energy and Utilities)
Send PM
Re: Until recently, anthropologists generally agreed that higher primates [#permalink]
1
Kudos
Until recently, anthropologists generally agreed that higher primates originated about 30 million years ago in the Al Fayyum region of Egypt. However, a 40-million-year old fossilized fragment of a lower jawbone discovered in Burma (now called Myanmar) in 1978 was used to support the theory that the earliest higher primates originated in Burma. However, the claim is premature, for______

Which one or the following, if rue, is the most logical completion of the paragraph above?

(A) there are no more primate species in Burma than there are in Egypt
(B) several anthropologists, using different dating methods, independently confirmed the estimated age of the jawbone fragment
(C) higher primates cannot be identified solely by their lower jawbones
(D) several prominent anthropologists do not believe that higher primates could have originated in either Egypt or Burma
(E) other archaeological expeditions in Burma have unearthed higher-primate fossilized bone fragments that are clearly older than 40 million years

In the argument there's a claim and 'claim is premature' suggests that author is looking to weaken the argument.
Only C is a weakener.
A and D are irrelevant.
B and E are strengthener.

IMO Answer C.
Retired Moderator
Joined: 18 May 2019
Posts: 785
Own Kudos [?]: 1040 [1]
Given Kudos: 101
Send PM
Re: Until recently, anthropologists generally agreed that higher primates [#permalink]
1
Kudos
C is the answer in my opinion.

Premise: Until recently, anthropologists generally agreed that higher primates originated about 30 million years ago in the Al Fayyum region of Egypt.
Counter-premise: However, a 40-million-year old fossilized fragment of a lower jawbone discovered in Burma (now called Myanmar) in 1978 was used to support the theory that the earliest higher primates originated in Burma.
Premise supporting the argument: However, the claim is premature, for______

To complete the argument above, we need an information which backs the first premise since the use of however to introduce the uncompleted portion of the argument suggests that it opposes the counter-premise made in favor of the origination of higher order primates from Burma.

A is incorrect because it neither weakens nor strengthen the case for the discovery in Burma.

B is incorrect because it supports the idea that primates originate from Burma and this does not logically conclude the argument.

C is correct. If it is true that higher order primates cannot be identified solely based on jawbones alone, then the argument for Burma is shattered and this is exactly what is expected to logically complete the argument.

D is incorrect as well because it doesn’t weaken nor strengthen the evidence for Burma or Egypt.

E is incorrect because we do no expect that the incomplete portion of the argument will support the discovery in Burma.

Posted from my mobile device
GMAT Club Bot
Re: Until recently, anthropologists generally agreed that higher primates [#permalink]
Moderators:
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
6921 posts
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
238 posts
CR Forum Moderator
832 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne