Some biologists believe that the capacity for flight first developed in marine reptiles, claiming that feathers are c...
ShirnelFebruary 3, 2020
Conclusions
I got this question correct however I want to ensure I am reading the argument correctly since there are so many facts. I determined that this argument has three conclusions, one for each set of facts i.e. the biologist who claim flight developed from marine.... is one, then those who reject it is another conclusion, and the tree climbing one is another. Is my thinking correct or is the claim from the other biologist the main conclusion? Please advise.
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The overall conclusion is that some biologists are correct in rejecting the assertion that the capacity for flight first developed in marine reptiles. The biologists refute this claim by pointing out bats and nonmarine reptiles that have scales.
The claim in question is used by the author to provide support for the refuting of the claim that the capacity for flight initially developed in marine reptiles.
In this argument, I'm only seeing one conclusion, which is, "Other biologists rightly reject this suggestion." What follows the conclusion are premises supporting it, including the phrase in question.
Does this make sense? Let us know if you have any other questions!
ShirnelFebruary 4, 2020
Got it, the first sentence is a claim, the second is a main conclusion, the others are premises. I used claim and conclusion interchangeably but in fact they are not necessarily the same thing, correct?
RaviFebruary 4, 2020
That is correct, @Shirnel, they're not the same thing. If you have any other questions, let us know!
Hanoi-Avila2March 5, 2020
Would it be safe to say that all arguments on the LSAT have one conclusion? I do see @Shirnel point here.
AndreaKMarch 15, 2020
Hi @Hanoi-Avila2,
No, not all arguments will have just one conclusion. Sometimes, we see intermediate (intermediary) or subsidiary conclusions. These conclusions function as both evidence and a conclusion. They are conclusions drawn up earlier in an argument (supported by premises) that function themselves to support a main conclusion later in an argument (acting as evidence themselves for a more critical main conclusion). However, it is safe to say that arguments on the LSAT will have just one main conclusion. Just be aware there might be one or possibly more intermediary conclusions (more than one is less likely however) that are themselves supported by evidence, and in tern themselves help support a more critical main conclusion being drawn.
Hope this helps! Feel free to follow up with us if you have anymore questions.
