LSAT Explanation PT 38, S1, Q9: Some scientists believe that 65 million

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent discrepancy between the scientists' beliefs and the scientists' results, as described above? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Paradox question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the passage. Some scientists believe that an asteroid strike 65 million years ago led to the extinction of dinosaurs. They argue that the debris from the asteroid strike could have blocked sunlight and cooled the atmosphere, which would have caused the food sources for herbivorous dinosaurs to disappear and made it impossible for any dinosaurs to survive a prolonged period of low temperatures. However, these scientists also found that most of the debris would have settled within six months, which is too short a time for the plants to disappear or the dinosaurs to freeze. So, there is an apparent discrepancy between the scientists' beliefs and their results.

The question type is a Paradox, which asks us to resolve the apparent discrepancy between the scientists' beliefs and their results.

Now, let's discuss the answer choices:

a) Loss of the herbivorous dinosaurs would have deprived the carnivorous dinosaurs of their food source.

- This answer choice doesn't address the discrepancy. It only explains the consequences of losing herbivorous dinosaurs but doesn't provide a reason for how the asteroid could have caused the extinction within the six-month timeframe.

b) Dinosaurs inhabited most landmasses on the planet but were not especially abundant in the area of the asteroid strike.

- This answer choice is irrelevant to the discrepancy. It doesn't explain how the asteroid could have caused the extinction within the six-month timeframe.

c) A cloud of debris capable of diminishing sunlight by 20 percent would have cooled the earth's surface by 7 to 10 degrees Celsius.

- This answer choice doesn't help resolve the discrepancy. It provides information about the cooling effect of the debris but doesn't explain how the extinction could have occurred within the six-month timeframe.

d) The asteroid was at least 9.6 km in diameter, large enough for many dinosaurs to be killed by the strike itself and by subsequent tidal waves.

- This answer choice explains how many dinosaurs could have been killed by the asteroid strike and tidal waves, but it doesn't address the global extinction of dinosaurs. It only provides a reason for the death of a large number of dinosaurs in the vicinity of the asteroid strike, not the extinction of all dinosaurs.

e) Dinosaurs were susceptible to fatal respiratory problems caused by contamination of the air by asteroid debris. (Correct Answer)

- This answer choice resolves the discrepancy by providing an alternative explanation for the extinction of dinosaurs within the six-month timeframe. It suggests that the debris in the atmosphere could have caused fatal respiratory problems for dinosaurs, leading to their extinction.

In summary, answer choice E is the correct answer because it provides a plausible explanation for the extinction of dinosaurs within the six-month timeframe, thus resolving the discrepancy between the scientists' beliefs and their results.