LSAT Explanation PT 23, S3, Q12: In 1988, a significant percentage of

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, provides the most additional support for the argument? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Strengthen question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the argument in the passage. The conclusion of the argument is that the higher death rate among the Baltic seals was likely due to the higher levels of pollutants in their blood. The premises supporting this conclusion are as follows:

1. In 1988, a significant percentage of seals in the Baltic Sea died from viral diseases, while off the coast of Scotland, the death rate due to viral diseases was approximately half what it was for the Baltic seals.

2. The Baltic seals had significantly higher levels of pollutants in their blood than did the Scottish seals.

3. Pollutants are known to impair marine mammals' ability to fight off viral infection.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument would be: "Is there any other factor that could have caused the higher death rate among the Baltic seals?"

Now, let's discuss the question type and the answer choices. The question type is Strengthen, which means we're looking for the answer choice that provides the most additional support for the argument.

a) The large majority of Scottish seals that died were either old or unhealthy animals.

This answer choice doesn't provide any additional support for the argument because it doesn't address the relationship between pollutants and the death rate among Baltic seals. It only provides information about the Scottish seals that died.

b) The strain of virus that killed Scottish seals overwhelms impaired immune systems much more quickly than it does healthy immune systems.

This answer choice doesn't strengthen the argument because it focuses on Scottish seals rather than the Baltic seals. It doesn't provide any information about the relationship between pollutants and the death rate among Baltic seals.

c) There were slight fluctuations in the levels of pollutants found in the blood of Baltic seals.

This answer choice is irrelevant to the argument, as it doesn't provide any additional support for the causal relationship between pollutants and the death rate among Baltic seals. The slight fluctuations in pollutant levels don't help establish that the higher death rate was due to the higher levels of pollutants.

d) The kinds of pollutants found in the Baltic Sea are significantly different from those that have been detected in the waters off the coast of Scotland.

This answer choice, if anything, weakens the argument by suggesting an alternate cause for the higher death rate among Baltic seals. It implies that the different types of pollutants in the Baltic Sea, rather than the higher levels of pollutants, could be responsible for the higher death rate.

e) Among marine mammals other than seals, the death rate due to viral diseases in 1988 was higher in the Baltic Sea than it was off the Scottish coast.

This is the correct answer. It strengthens the argument by showing another example where the higher death rate due to viral diseases is correlated with the higher levels of pollutants in the Baltic Sea. This supports the conclusion that the higher death rate among Baltic seals was likely due to the higher levels of pollutants in their blood.

In summary, the correct answer is E, as it provides the most additional support for the argument by showing a correlation between higher death rates due to viral diseases and higher levels of pollutants in the Baltic Sea among marine mammals other than seals.