Q14 - Several Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons

[ohthatpatrick]

Question Type:
Inference (most supported)

Stimulus Breakdown:
T-rex skeletons have tooth marks made by a large carnivore. The only large carnivore at that time was T-rex. The tooth marks had to come from combat or feeding, but it would have been basically impossible to inflict the tooth marks on anything alive.

Answer Anticipation:
Inference is all about combining ideas to derive some very supportable (or provable) idea.

Combining the first two sentences, we get that a T. rex had to make the tooth marks on these T. rex skeletons.
Combining the last two sentences, we get that the tooth marks must have come from feeding on a dead animal.
Combining our two inferences, we get that the tooth marks on these T. rex skeletons came from a T. rex that was feeding on a dead animal.

Correct Answer:
C

Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) There's no information here about smaller carnivores.

(B) We have no information about whether it was common or rare for carnivores to eat carnivores (we only think we know that in THIS INSTANCE, a carnivore was feeding on a carnivore).

(C) YES! Since we inferred that the tooth marks on the T. Rex came from a T. Rex feeding on a dead animal, that seems to qualify as T. rex cannibalism!

(D) This goes against the inference we're making from the last two ideas: we inferred it had to be feeding, NOT combat.

(E) We have no information about other continents.

Takeaway/Pattern: Sometimes, an Inference (most supported) question basically feels like a "Solve the Mystery" inference. Where did these tooth marks come from? As we follow the clues and constraints, our #1 suspect is a T. rex, who was feeding. That's all the correct answer is rewarding.

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