December 2011 LSAT Section 1 Question 12

Populations of a shrimp species at eleven different Indonesian coral reefs show substantial genetic differences from ...

amoli078@fiu.edu on October 25, 2023

question explanation and why not B

I was stuck in between B and C and ended up choosing the former. I read the current explanations posted, I still don't understand why it is not B. The answer states that they differ genetically.

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Emil-Kunkin on October 26, 2023

It's important to look at the frame of reference. The passage was talking about population genetics. That is, we can say two populations are genetically indistinguishable from each other if on the aggregate, the people in them have a similar mix of genetic traits. However, B is talking about individuals. For individuals to be genetically identical, they would have to be twins. B is simply stating a core tenant of genetics: of course individuals have to have genetic differences from each other! B shifts the frame of reference from populations to individuals, and so isn't really relevant to the paradox of why the populations are genetically divergent.