It is most likely that both authors would agree with which one of the following statements about dental caries?
Christy-EarlsMay 21, 2019
Please explain
I feel like both passages say the opposite of what this question says both authors would agree on, aside from the "unexpected finding" in the last paragraph of passage B. Otherwise, it seems both passages agree that the frequency of dental caries in a population DOES correspond directly to the population's degree of dependence on agriculture, thus why it is possible to use human teeth to learn about when the transition to agriculture v hunter/gatherer was made... I could kinda get answer choice D from passage B but not seeing in A. Help please?
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(A) says, "The incidence of dental caries increases predictably in populations over time."
The problem with (A) is that it's too broad. We know the Ban Chiang, North Americans, and Hopi provide strong evidence to counter this claim. Thus, we can get rid of (A), as it's not something both authors would agree with because neither author states that populations invariably move toward more agrarian cultures/lifestyles, so neither of them would make the claim that caries rates go up over time.
(D) says, "The frequency of dental caries in a population does not necessarily correspond directly to the population’s degree of dependence on agriculture."
This is great. This is the position that both the authors of passage A and B would agree with, as the Ban Chiang, North Americans, and Hopi all provide strong evidence for this statement. You mentioned that you didn't see how this matches up with passage A's author's thoughts. The author does state in paragraph 1 of passage A that tooth structure is one of the factors that influence the extent to which a population shows caries. Additionally, in paragraph 3, the author discusses the cariogenic factors of some types of gathered foods, such as acorns and plants. In passage B, the author talks about the implications of tooth wear on dental caries in the second paragraph. In the last paragraph, the author elaborates on why the Ban Chiang's increased agricultural lifestyle did not result in higher rates of dental caries. For these reasons, we know that neither of the authors believes that caries corresponds directly to the degree of dependence on agriculture, which is why (D) is correct.
Does that make sense? Let us know if you have any questions!
