CR02531.01 – A fossil recently discovered
Question A fossil recently discovered in Marlandia, a chain of islands, proves that a present-day reptile indigenous to Marlandia is descended from an ancient reptile
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Archaeologist: Researchers excavating a burial site in Cyprus found a feline skeleton lying near a human skeleton. Both skeletons were in the same sediment at the same depth and equally well-preserved, suggesting that the feline and human were buried together about 9,500 years ago. This shows that felines were domesticated around the time farming began, when they would have been useful in protecting stores of grain from mice.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the archaeologist’s argument?
(This question is from Official Guide. Therefore, because of copyrights, the complete question cannot be copied here. The question can be accessed at GMAT Club)
Archaeologist: Researchers excavating a burial site in Cyprus found a feline skeleton lying near a human skeleton.
A skeleton of a human and a skeleton of a cat were found nearby in the excavation of a burial site.
Both skeletons were in the same sediment at the same depth and equally well-preserved, suggesting that the feline and human were buried together about 9,500 years ago.
The fact that both the skeletons were in the same sediment at the same depth and equally well-preserved suggests that the cat and the human were buried together about 9500 years ago.
This shows that felines were domesticated around the time farming began, when they would have been useful in protecting stores of grain from mice.
On the basis of the above suggestion (the cat and the human were buried together), the author says that felines were domesticated around the time farming began, when felines would have been useful to humans.
There are several gaps in the argument:
(A) Incorrect.
Many people mark this option thinking that if there are no stores of grain nearby, then felines could not have protected against mice. Thus, this option weakens the argument.
However, why do stores of grain have to be nearby for felines to be useful against mice?
Why can’t felines be buried at a burial site which is quite far from the stores of grain in which they lived and protected the grain against mice?
The option can weaken the argument only if there is a reason to expect that felines used to be buried at the same location on which they lived. In such a case, no evidence of stores of grain means nothing to protect by feline. In such a case, the argument will be weakened.
However, there is absolutely no reason to expect that felines used to be buried at the same location on which they lived.
Thus, this option has NO IMPACT.
(B) Incorrect.
How old the burial site is has NO IMPACT on the argument. The age of the skeletons has an impact on the argument, but the age of the burial site has no impact on the argument.
(C) Incorrect.
The conclusion is that felines were domesticated around the time farming began. Thus, the conclusion is about a specific time period – when farming began.
This option doesn’t tell us about the time of the paintings. Thus, on the basis of the paintings, can we say that felines were domesticated around the time farming began? I don’t think so.
(D) Correct.
One gap in the argument that I didn’t cover in my list of gaps is “why can’t wild animals be buried with humans?” If wild animals were buried with humans at that time, then on the basis that felines and humans were buried together, we cannot argue that felines were domesticated; they may as well have been wild.
This option plays around this gap. By saying that wild animals have been buried alongside humans, this option casts a doubt on the conclusion that felines were domesticated.
(E) Incorrect.
This option supports that felines had utility for early farmers. Thereby, this option supports the domestication of felines at the time farming began. However, we’re looking for a weakener.
Question A fossil recently discovered in Marlandia, a chain of islands, proves that a present-day reptile indigenous to Marlandia is descended from an ancient reptile
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