LSAT Explanation PT 25, S4, Q26: At night, a flock of crows

LSAT Question Stem

Of the following claims, which one can most justifiably be rejected on the basis of the statements above? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Must Be False question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

This question is a "Most Justifiably Rejected" question, which is similar to a "Must Be False" question. We are asked to identify the claim that can be most justifiably rejected based on the information provided in the passage.

Before we dive into the answer choices, let's briefly recap the key points from the passage:

1. Crows perch together in a roost at night.

2. They leave the roost each morning to hunt and scavenge within a range of up to 80 miles.

3. They usually occupy the same roost for several consecutive years.

4. When they move to a new roost, it is typically less than 5 miles away.

Now, let's analyze each answer choice:

a) Crows will abandon their roost site only in response to increases in the population of the flock.

This answer choice cannot be justifiably rejected because the passage does not provide any information about the reasons why crows abandon their roost site. It could be true, but we don't have enough information to reject it.

b) When there is a shortage of food in the area in which a flock of crows normally hunts and scavenges, some members of the flock will begin to hunt and scavenge outside that area.

This answer choice is reasonable and cannot be rejected based on the information provided in the passage. It is not in conflict with any of the statements.

c) Most of the hunting and scavenging that crows do occurs more than eight kilometers (five miles) from their roost.

This answer choice could be true because the passage states that crows hunt within a range of up to 80 miles from the roost. It does not conflict with any statements in the passage, so we cannot justifiably reject it.

d) Once a flock of crows has settled on a new roost site, it is extremely difficult to force it to abandon that site for another.

The passage does not provide any information about how difficult it is to force a flock of crows to abandon their roost site. Therefore, we cannot justifiably reject this answer choice.

e) When a flock of crows moves to a new roost site, it generally does so because the area in which it has hunted and scavenged has been depleted of food sources.

This answer choice can be most justifiably rejected because it conflicts with the information in the passage. If the hunting area was depleted of food sources, moving only 5 miles away would not significantly change the situation, as the new roost would still be within the same hunting range. The passage states that the new roost is usually less than 5 miles away, so it would not make sense for the crows to move such a short distance if food depletion was the primary reason.

Based on our analysis, the correct answer is E, as it is the claim that can be most justifiably rejected on the basis of the statements in the passage.