While adipose tissuenormal, white fataccounts for most of the fat in

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While adipose tissue—normal, white fat—accounts for most of the fat in the bodies of large mammals,  brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

A) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

B) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of small mammals and newborn humans’ bodies.

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of those in small mammals and newborn humans

D) small mammals and newborn humans have a high proportion of brown fat in their bodies.

E) small mammals and newborn humans that have a higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies.

generis · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

This question is probably flawed.

The writer of the question pegged the answer as D. 
I think that A is as good or better.

Very rarely, as is the case in option A, we are allowed to use "higher" without "than" when the object of comparison is obvious.
I am trying to find the official question in which I recall seeing this construction.

On the other hand, option D does not use a comparison word such as "higher" that almost always requires a "than."
We have a comparison in the form of contrast.
In option D, the dependent clause begins with  while  and leads with adipose tissue (fat).
The main clause leads with small mammals.
The meaning seems pretty clear: the bodies of small mammals and newborn babies have a high proportion of brown to white fat in their bodies, whereas large mammals have mostly white fat.

Meaning trumps everything,  including parallelism.
Just one problem. In option D, I cannot tell whether "higher proportion" means brown fat:total body or brown fat:white fat.

Both A and D are defensible. 
Neither is great.
The question is archived.

Everyone gets kudos.

Aswin12 · Answer

While adipose tissue—normal, white fat—accounts for most of the fat in the bodies of large mammals, brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

A) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans. -  Correct Option

B) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of small mammals and newborn humans’ bodies. -  Brown fat makes up a higher proportion of bodies of small mammals . It does not make up a higher proportion of small mammals (meaning error)

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of those in small mammals and newborn humans -  Higher proprtion should be used instead of high proportion . The comparison is lost

D) small mammals and newborn humans have a high proportion of brown fat in their bodies. -  Comparison error adipose tissue or white fat is compared to small mammals

E) small mammals and newborn humans that have a higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies. -  Same error as Option D

winterschool · Answer

While adipose tissue—normal, white fat—accounts for most of the fat in the bodies of large mammals, brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

A) brown fat makes up a  higher  proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.  Incorrect

correct idioms - .......higher.............than...............

B) brown fat makes up a  higher  proportion of small mammals and newborn humans’ bodies.  Incorrect

same as A

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of  those  in small mammals and newborn humans  Incorrect

those refers to what? is it fat that is singular, whereas those plural

D)  small mammals and newborn humans have a high proportion of brown fat in their bodies.   Correct

seems good

E) small mammals and newborn humans  that have a higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies.   Incorrect

small mammals and newborn humans - sentence fragment

I think Answer D

TarunKumar1234 · Answer

I read few GMATCLUB pages and returned to review my response.

While adipose tissue—normal, white fat—accounts for most of the fat in the bodies of large mammals, brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

A) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans. -> There are comparison that don't involve "than".
We have right comparison between, "white fat" and "brown fat". For comparison without "than", please read below thread.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/comparison-w ... 62039.html

B) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of small mammals and newborn humans’ bodies. -> we lost the parallelism between "in the bodies of large mammals" and "of small mammals and newborn humans’ bodies". Incorrect.

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of those in small mammals and newborn humans -> "those" refers to "the bodies". Let's re-read it, brown fat makes up a high proportion of the bodies in small mammals and newborn humans. Again, "bodies of large mammals" is not parallel to "bodies in small mammals and newborn humans". Incorrect.

D) small mammals and newborn humans have a high proportion of brown fat in their bodies. -> "adipose tissue—normal, white fat" is compared with "small mammals and newborn humans". Incorrect.

E) small mammals and newborn humans that have a higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies.-> same as D.

So, I think A.

Shrey08 · Answer

We need something comparable after comma. The sentence is comparing   "adipose tissue—normal, white fat"   with   "brown fat"  .
Option D and E are out for incorrect comparison.

Option C is out for using   "High proportion"   instead of   "Higher proportion"

Between option A and B.... It's incorrect to say " ...brown fat makes up a higher proportion of  small mammals ... "

Option A is correct

beeblebrox · Answer

Managed to eliminate (B) (C) & (D).
Stuck between (A) and (D). Structure-wise (A) is more appealing, but I am unsure of the usage of "higher".
I will still go with (A). 
 My doubt is: In GMAT does a second-degree comparison always need a "than"? If yes, then (D) will be the correct option.
 
 A) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

B) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of small mammals and newborn humans’ bodies. 
 Incorrect . This statement means that brown fat makes up a higher proportion of A)Small mammals B)Newborn babies' bodies.

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of those in small mammals and newborn humans 
 Incorrect.  "Those" refers to "bodies". It makes no sense to state that "brown fat makes up a high proportion of bodies in small mammals and newborn humans"

D) small mammals and newborn humans have a high proportion of brown fat in their bodies.

E) small mammals and newborn humans that have a higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies. 
 Incorrect.  This Noun+Noun modifier and we need an IC to complete the sentence.

zhanbo · Answer

My answer is  (A) . It took me 02:28.

(A) Clear meaning. "higher" is used to mean brown fat's proportion in the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans is higher than that in the bodies of large mammals.

(B) "proportion of small mammals” does not make sense. One fix is to use "proportion of small mammals ' "

(C) I tried hard to figure out what "those" refer to. An obvious antecedent is "the bodies", but we should use "the bodies  of " as opposed to "the bodies  in ".

(D) Ideally, the subjects of subordinate and main clause are comparable. It is not must have, but nice to have. 
Here, the shift from "adipose tissue" to "small mammals and newborn humans" does feel a bit abrupt.

(E) Not a sentence thanks to "that", which introduces a relative clause, leaving no main verb for "small mammals and newborn humans".

Anuragsharma93 · Answer

IMO A - Took me around 2 mins to understand the structure and intended comparison.

Since it is a comparison question what should follow the comma is what is being compared in the first half of the sentence.
Have marked the comparison in bold - 
While  adipose tissue—normal, white fat—accounts  for most of the fat in the  bodies of large mammals ,  brown fat  makes up a higher proportion of the  bodies of small mammals and newborn humans . - Points out the intended meaning and comparison correctly.

B) brown fat makes up a higher  proportion of small mammals and newborn   humans’ bodies.  - Meaning error

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of  those  in small mammals and newborn humans - Those what is it referring to ? - meaning error in this sentence

Wrong comparison between Tissue and Fat content viz Mammals hence D and E are straight out 
 
D) small mammals and newborn humans have a high proportion of brown fat in their bodies. 
E) small mammals and newborn humans that have a higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies.

carouselambra · Answer

IMO C

While adipose tissue—normal, white fat—accounts for most of the fat in the bodies of large mammals, brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

A) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of (what?) the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

B) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of (what?) small mammals and newborn  humans’ bodies.

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of  those  in small mammals and newborn humans
Parallelism agreed.

D) small mammals and newborn humans have a high proportion of brown fat in their bodies.
Distorts parallelism and voice usage.

E) small mammals and newborn humans  that  have a higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies.

sumitkrocks · Answer

A) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.  Correct

B) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of small mammals and newborn humans’ bodies. 
Proportion of small mammals -Logically wrong

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of  those  in small mammals and newborn humans
Ambiguous pronoun "Those"

D) small mammals and newborn humans have a high proportion of brown fat in their bodies. 
Wrong comparison:- Adipose tissue is compared with small mammals

E) small mammals and newborn humans that have a higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies. 
Wrong comparison:- Adipose tissue is compared with small mammals

RajatJ79 · Answer

While adipose tissue—normal, white fat—accounts for most of the fat in the bodies of large mammals,  brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

Pre-thinking :  Parallelism in comparison

A) brown fat makes up   a higher proportion of the bodies of   small mammals and newborn humans.

B) brown fat makes up  a higher proportion of small mammals  and newborn humans’ bodies.
 Correct structure should have been 'a higher proportion of bodies of ...'

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of  those  in small mammals and newborn humans
 antecedent of pronoun 'those' is ambiguous.

D)  small mammals and newborn humans have a  high proportion of brown fat in their bodies.
 incorrect structure for maintaining parallelism with 1st half of sentence.

E) small mammals and  newborn humans that have a  higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies.
 same as Option D.

IMO answer should be Option A.

praveen27sinha · Answer

While adipose tissue—normal, white fat—accounts for most of the fat in the bodies of large mammals, brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans.

A) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of the bodies of small mammals and newborn humans. :- Correct

B) brown fat makes up a higher proportion of small mammals and newborn humans’ bodies. :- fat makes up higher proportion of small mammals is incorrect it must be bodies

C) brown fat makes up a high proportion of those in small mammals and newborn humans :- High is incorrect

D) small mammals and newborn humans have a high proportion of brown fat in their bodies. :-  Wrong comparison

E) small mammals and newborn humans that have a higher proportion of brown fat in their bodies.  Wrong comparison

AnirudhaS · Answer

Between A & D I guess A is better. But is D wrong? I guess not. Just not as good as A.

IMO: A

generis · Answer

The official explanation is  here .

While adipose tissuenormal, white fataccounts for most of the fat in

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