An alarming number of Mediterranean monk seals, an endangered species, have recently died.

Many sea animal died

Postmortem analysis showed the presence of an as yet unidentified virus, as well as evidence of a know bacterial toxin.

Why ? two causes: a virus, unknown, and a bacterium

Seawater samples from the area where the seals died did contain unusually high concentrations of the toxic bacterium.

The sea waters where the seals surfed and lived had the toxin in high concentration

Therefore, although both viruses and bacterial toxins can kill seals, it is more likely that these deaths were the result of the bacterial toxin.

Even though we do not know the origin of the virus, and because there was a high concentration of the toxin in the waters, more likely than not the real reason of the deaths is the toxin or poison and NOT the virus


Which of the following, if true, provides additional evidence to support the conclusion?


we are looking for a strengthen logic evidence e that is the toxin and not the virus the real cause of the deaths. I.E. we want a logic reason to back up our conclusion

A. Viruses are much more difficult to identify in postmortem analysis than bacteria are.

The identification does not tell us if the real cause was the virus or the toxin

B. Mediterranean monk seals are the only species of seal in the area where the bacterium was found.

The fact that the monks are the ONLY species in the area where the toxin was found DOES NOT tell us anything about the virus and if it affected the monks as well or not. We do know just that the toxin was found. ONE side of the story

C. The bacterium is almost always present in the water in at least small concentrations.

Irrelevant or at least it weakens the argument

D. Nearly all the recent deaths were among adult seals, but young seals are far more susceptible to viruses than are adult seals.

The vast majority of the deaths are among adult monks and the fact that the YOUNG monks are affected by the virus and they did not die tell us clearly the origin of the deaths is the toxin

E. Several years ago, a large number of monk seals died in the same area as a result of exposure to a different bacterial toxin.

What happened several years ago is irrelevant. It does not affect what is happening right now