LSAT Explanation PT 20, S1, Q8: Millions of female bats rear their

LSAT Question Stem

The argument seeks to do which one of the following? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Method of Reasoning question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

The LSAT problem we are analyzing is a Method of Reasoning (MOR) question. Our task is to identify the method used in the argument to reach its conclusion. Let's first break down the passage and identify its structure.

Passage Analysis:

1. Female bats rear their pups in Bracken Cave (Background Information).

2. Mothers leave the cave nightly but are almost always swiftly reunited with their own pups (Premise).

3. Bats' calls are their only means of finding one another (Premise).

4. A bat pup cannot distinguish the call of its mother from that of any other adult bat (Premise).

5. Each mother bat can recognize the call of her pup (Conclusion).

The argument concludes that since calls are the only means for bats to locate each other and pups cannot distinguish between adult calls, mother bats must be able to recognize their pup's calls. The argument eliminates other possibilities to reach this conclusion.

Now, let's examine each answer choice in detail:

a) This answer choice is incorrect because the argument does not generalize from a small group to a larger population. The passage does not mention any representative samples or comparisons between groups.

b) This answer choice is correct. The argument seeks to establish the validity of one explanation (mother bats recognizing their pup's calls) by excluding alternative explanations (pups recognizing their mother's calls).

c) This answer choice is incorrect because the argument does not describe the specific mechanism by which mother bats use calls to locate their pups. The passage only states that calls are the only means for bats to find each other.

d) This answer choice is incorrect because the argument does not conclude that members of two groups (pups and mothers) share a certain ability based on other shared characteristics. In fact, the argument implies that pups and mothers may differ in their ability to distinguish calls.

e) This answer choice is incorrect because the argument does not apply a general rule to a particular case. Instead, it attempts to resolve a general rule (how pups and mothers reunite) by eliminating other possibilities.

In conclusion, the correct answer choice is (B), as the argument seeks to establish the validity of one explanation for a phenomenon by excluding alternative explanations.