Which one of the following would, if true, most help to undermine the author's evaluation in the last sentence of the...

shunhe on August 5, 2020

Hi @EugeneC,

Thanks for the question! So the question’s asking us for something that’ll most help to undermine the author’s evaluation in the last sentence of the passage. Well, it makes since in that case to figure out what that evaluation is, so let’s go to the last sentence! There, we’re told that tiger salamanders have kin recognition “simply as a means by which an organism preserves its own life, not as a means to aid in relatives’ survival” (lines 60-61). So basically, the only function (since it is “simply” as a means by which) of kin recognition is to preserve its own life. And aiding other relatives’ survival doesn’t matter. So in order to undermine this, we need an answer choice that’ll show us an instance where something else does matter, or it does serve to aid relatives’ survival.

Now take a look at (C), which tells us that kin recognition helps tiger salamanders avoid inbreeding that may be life-threatening to their offspring. Well, that means that kin recognition would serve to aid relatives’ survival, since their offspring are their relatives! And there’s not necessarily an aid to their own lives there. So (C) undermines the reasoning as discussed above, and is correct.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any other questions that you might have.