Match each logical argument on the left with the supplementary premise on the right that most effectively strengthens its central conclusion.
- Paleontologist: Juvenile fossil specimens of the herbivore Dicynodon exhibit dental micro-striations identical to those caused by consuming silica-rich wetland horsetails, whereas adult specimens lack these striations. Therefore, juvenile Dicynodon inhabited riparian wetlands while adults lived in arid uplands.Sedimentary evidence confirms that silica-rich horsetails were strictly confined to riparian riverbanks during that period, and adult tooth enamel did not wear down rapidly enough to erase prior juvenile striation patterns.
- Neurologist: Patients with chronic insomnia who listened to low-frequency binaural acoustic tones for thirty minutes before sleep experienced forty percent fewer nocturnal awakenings than a control group listening to white noise. Thus, low-frequency acoustic stimulation directly induces synchronized cortical delta waves during sleep.Concurrent electroencephalogram monitoring during the study confirmed an immediate surge in synchronized cortical delta-wave activity specific to binaural tone exposure, while subjective relaxation ratings between both groups remained identical.
- Agronomist: Crop plots treated with mycorrhizal fungal inoculants produced twenty-five percent higher grain yields under moderate drought than untreated plots. Because fungal hyphae expand root surface area, this yield advantage was entirely due to enhanced water uptake efficiency.Drought-stressed plants inoculated with a mutant fungal strain that extends hyphae and transports water but cannot absorb or mobilize soil mineral nutrients achieved grain yield increases identical to those treated with the wild-type inoculant.
- Art Historian: Infrared reflectography of a disputed Renaissance portrait reveals an underdrawing executed in carbon ink with fluid hatching unique to Master V. Because workshop apprentices were strictly required to use dry charcoal, Master V himself must have drawn this underdrawing.Archival workshop inventories indicate that carbon ink was kept exclusively in the master's locked personal quarters, and contemporaneous copyists lacked access to the master's private sketches.
Answer
Match the paleontology argument with the premise regarding horsetail ecological restriction and enamel wear retention; match the neurology argument with the premise confirming EEG delta-wave surges and equal subjective relaxation; match the agronomy argument with the premise involving the nutrient-defective mutant fungal strain; match the art history argument with the premise establishing locked ink storage and restricted sketch access.
Each correct pairing resolves the specific inferential vulnerability present in the respective argument. The paleontology argument is strengthened by confirming that horsetails were exclusively riparian and that adult teeth would have preserved juvenile striations. The neurology argument is strengthened by objective electroencephalogram verification of delta-wave synchronization and control of relaxation variables. The agronomy argument is strengthened by experimental isolation proving that non-water fungal contributions were not responsible for the yield increase. The art history argument is strengthened by confirming that apprentices had zero access to carbon ink and that copyists could not have accessed the preparatory sketches.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Strengthening Deductive and Causal Inferences by Ruling Out Rival Hypotheses and Confirming Necessary Mechanisms
Estimated Time:2m 30s