LSAT 128 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q15

LR Question 15 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The number of deer living in North America has increased …

QUESTION TYPE: Paradox

PARADOX: Despite the increase of factors we’d expect to reduce the population of deer, the number of deer has actually dramatically increased.

ANALYSIS: There are things we’d expect to overall reduce the population of deer – or at the very least, stay the same – yet it’s actually dramatically increased.

1. People hunt deer the same amount (so it’s not like people hunt less, therefore more deer)
2. There are more predators of deer now (so more animals hunting deer now)
3. Suburban expansion is encroaching on where deer live (this could be damaging to the population of deer)

To resolve the paradox, we need a factor that explains why the deer population has grown despite such pressures. The best explanation will offset or outweigh the expected decline.

___________

1. CORRECT. Deer populations have dramatically increased since the 1960s. So if, in the 70s, a pesticide that negatively impacted wildlife was banned, this likely means the population started recovering and growing. This provides a good explanation for why the deer population increased despite the other pressures.
2. This might help slow (not eradicate) habitat loss, but it doesn’t explain the overall dramatic increase.
3. We already know hunters “kill no fewer deer today”. This means that hunting levels have stayed the same, so a reduction in the number of hunters doesn’t explain why the population overall has grown.
4. This explains why there’s more wolves. We want to know why there’s more deer.
5. This could suggest why deer populations might decline in the future. But it doesn’t explain why their numbers increased in the first place.