Last visit was: 09 Dec 2024, 01:47 It is currently 09 Dec 2024, 01:47

Close

GRE Prep Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GRE score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Close

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel
SORT BY:
Date
GRE Prep Club Team Member
Joined: 20 Feb 2017
Posts: 2508
Own Kudos [?]: 3645 [0]
Given Kudos: 1053
GPA: 3.39
Send PM
Intern
Intern
Joined: 12 Mar 2022
Posts: 1
Own Kudos [?]: 1 [1]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Manager
Manager
Joined: 07 Nov 2021
Posts: 52
Own Kudos [?]: 63 [0]
Given Kudos: 20
Send PM
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 30207
Own Kudos [?]: 36611 [0]
Given Kudos: 26009
Send PM
Re: A recent study has provided clues to predator-prey dynamics in the lat [#permalink]
Expert Reply
When on my mobile I read carcass consumption I thought something about me :lol: :lol:

1 .
The author is concerned with the implications of the findings which is suggested in the following lines.. "Such thorough carcass consumption implies to the researchers either that prey availability was low, at least seasonally, or that there was intense competition over kills and a high rate of carcass theft due to relatively high predator densities "
Hence option (E) is the right answer.

2 .
"They ruled out local bias because breakage data obtained from other Pleistocene sites were similar to the La Brea data"
The above excerpt suggests that both carnivores had similar breakage patterns and thereby similar frequency in tooth fractures. Hence option (B) is the right answer.

3.
"The explanation they consider most plausible is behavioral differences between extinct and present-day carnivores—in particular, more contact between the teeth of predators and the bones of prey due to more thorough consumption of carcasses by the extinct species."
Answer D

4.
the methods used to determine animals’ ages in fossil samples tend to misidentify many older individuals as younger individuals

Answer D

5.
"They rejected preservational bias because a total absence of breakage in two extinct species demonstrated that the fractures were not the result of abrasion within the pits."
Answer A

6.
Such thorough carcass consumption implies to the researchers either that prey availability was low, at least seasonally, or that there was intense competition over kills and a high rate of carcass theft due to relatively high predator densities.

Answer A
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 30207
Own Kudos [?]: 36611 [0]
Given Kudos: 26009
Send PM
A recent study has provided clues to predator-prey dynamics in the lat [#permalink]
Expert Reply
As for question 4, refer to this portion: "the researchers dismissed demographic bias because older individuals were not over represented in the fossil samples." We can infer that demographic bias has to do with age differences. More specifically, if all of the fossils were from OLDER individuals, then the high proportion of tooth fractures might simply be a result of the aging process . In other words, in order to accurately compare the fossil teeth to the teeth of present-day predators, we need samples representing all ages in both groups.

With that in mind, let's consider the choices:

Quote:
4. The researchers’ conclusion concerning the absence of demographic bias would be most seriously undermined if it were found that

A. the older an individual carnivore is, the more likely it is to have a large number of tooth fractures - This explains why we could have demographic bias if older individuals WERE over represented in the fossil samples. However, we are told that older individuals were NOT over represented, so (A) can be eliminated.

B. the average age at death of a present-day carnivore is greater than was the average age at death of a Pleistocene carnivore - If the OPPOSITE were true, that might hurt the author's argument by suggesting that the higher frequency of fractures among Pleistocene carnivores is a result of their longer life spans. As written, choice (B) gives us more reason to suspect that the fractures are not related to age (since the group that lived longer had fewer fractures). Regardless, the author is simply asserting that older individuals were not over represented in the fossils. Choice (B) does not affect this claim and can be eliminated.

C. in Pleistocene carnivore species, older individuals consumed carcasses as thoroughly as did younger individuals - If this were not true, it might explain why one age group would show more fractures. But choice (C) says that the two groups consumed carcasses equally thoroughly, so we don't have to worry about this possible age-related variable. Regardless, this doesn't have anything to do with the demographic bias referred to by the author. This bias only occurs if the fossils over represent certain age groups (i.e. older individuals). (C) can be eliminated.

D. the methods used to determine animals’ ages in fossil samples tend to misidentify many older individuals as younger individuals - The author claims that the fossils do not over represent older individuals. But what if the ages of the fossilized animals were not accurate? Choice (D) suggests that many of the "younger" fossilized animals may have actually been "older" individuals. In that case, the fossils WOULD over represent older individuals, and we'd have a demographic bias. Thus, choice (D) would undermine the researchers’ conclusion concerning the absence of demographic bias.

E. data concerning the ages of fossil samples cannot provide reliable information about behavioral differences between extinct carnivores and present-day carnivores - The author does not talk about using age data to determine behavioral differences. The author simply claims that the fossils do not over represent older individuals. Choice (E) is irrelevant.
Prep Club for GRE Bot
A recent study has provided clues to predator-prey dynamics in the lat [#permalink]
Moderators:
GRE Forum Moderator
37 posts
GRE Instructor
234 posts
GRE Instructor
1066 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne