Despite numerous investigations, the debate concerning whether Neanderthals became extinct because of climate change or competition with modern humans is still unresolved. Some researchers argue that competition alone cannot be the cause of Neanderthal extinction. By contrast, other authors support the existence of competitive exclusion for the same niche and argue that competition played a major role in the demise of the Neanderthal population. Some analyses, which are based on mathematical modeling, lack plausibility because they are too theoretical; others, which are based on more integrative simulations or which take into account archaeological and ethnologic examples, are more convincing.
The modeling approach is used to understand complex systems by working on a simplified model of these systems. Thus, this process involves the choice of certain parameters and variables, which, if they are simplified, are controlled in such a way that they are capable of representing the system as a whole. Therefore, the models used so far do not attempt to determine the kind of food that Neanderthals and modern humans consumed but to highlight the potential differences in dietary habits characteristic of these two populations.
The author of the passage most likely cites “
archaeological and ethnologic examples” in order to
A. suggest that the authors of most Neanderthal extinction investigations failed to use integrative simulations
B. offer an explanation for the paradox involved in explaining the extinction of Neanderthals
C. provide examples of additional parameters that can be included in Neanderthal studies
D. suggest that providing archaeological and ethnological examples makes research about extinct populations more convincing
E. provide support for the idea that theoretical modeling of extinct populations is an outdated concept
Consider each of the answer choices separately and select all that apply.
Which of the following statements about the “modeling approach” is supported by the passage?
A. Studies that simplify parameters cannot adequately represent entire systems.
B. Attempting to determine what kind of food Neanderthals ate is more complex than theorizing the differences between Neanderthal and modern diets.
C. Models of systems representing the behavior of complex systems are necessarily also complex.
18 Nov 2021, 09:40
13% (01:58) correct
