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Zorluk: ZorApplying the Negation Technique

Zoologist: The recent discovery of fossilized feathers on the forelimbs of the theropod dinosaur *Velociraptor* strongly suggests that this species was capable of sustained endothermy, or warm-bloodedness. Feathers provide excellent thermal insulation, a feature that would be entirely unnecessary for an ectothermic, or cold-blooded, animal living in the uniformly warm climate of the Cretaceous period. Therefore, *Velociraptor* must have generated its own body heat.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the zoologist's argument?

  1. *Velociraptor* did not possess feathers solely for a function other than retaining body heat.Cevap
  2. B
    Any dinosaur that possessed feathers was capable of sustained endothermy.
  3. C
    No ectothermic animals living in the Cretaceous period possessed anatomical features that provided any degree of thermal insulation.
  4. D
    If a dinosaur living in the Cretaceous period did not possess feathers, it was an ectothermic animal.
  5. E
    The ability to generate body heat was the primary cause of the evolutionary development of feathers in theropod dinosaurs.

Cevap

The correct answer is the statement that *Velociraptor* did not possess feathers solely for a function other than retaining body heat.
The correct answer identifies the crucial unstated premise bridging the gap between the evidence and the conclusion. The author argues that because insulation is unnecessary for a cold-blooded animal, Velociraptor must be warm-blooded. This reasoning falls apart if Velociraptor had feathers for a completely different reason (e.g., mating displays). By stating that Velociraptor did NOT possess feathers solely for a different function, this option defends the argument against that fatal vulnerability. When negated, it destroys the conclusion, proving it is a necessary assumption.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Identify the argument's core structure.
Premise: Feathers provide insulation, which is unnecessary for cold-blooded animals in a warm climate. Conclusion: Velociraptor (which had feathers) must have been warm-blooded.
Deconstructing the argument separates the evidence from the author's final claim.
2
Locate the logical gap.
The author assumes that because insulation is unnecessary for cold-blooded animals, a cold-blooded animal would not have feathers. However, this ignores the possibility that feathers might exist for a completely different reason (like display or flight).
Identifying the unstated leap is critical for finding necessary assumptions.
3
Apply the Negation Technique to the correct option.
Negating the correct option yields: 'Velociraptor possessed feathers solely for a function other than retaining body heat.' If this is true, the feathers' insulating property is just a byproduct, and a cold-blooded Velociraptor could have evolved feathers for display. This completely destroys the argument's conclusion.
The Negation Technique is the definitive test for a necessary assumption: if the logical opposite of a choice destroys the argument, the choice is the correct answer.

Anahtar Kavram

Applying the Negation Technique
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Konular

Applying the Negation Technique

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