LSAT 153 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q15

LR Question 15 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The better we understand the behavior and ecological niche…

QUESTION TYPE: Complete the Argument

CONCLUSION: It is harder to gain sufficient understanding to save an endangered species as it gets more endangered.

REASONING: Understanding a species makes it more likely that we can save it. Studying more individuals helps us understand a species better.

ANALYSIS: The “Therefore,” before the blank tells us that we are providing the argument’s conclusion. We are told two things: more understanding means it’s easier to save the endangered species, and more individuals studied means a better understanding. We can easily deduce that studying more individuals would make it easier to save an endangered species.

But we can go further. Remember that these are endangered species, so there are few individuals and those numbers are at risk. When the species gets more endangered, there are less individuals and therefore it’s harder to get the understanding to save it. This is likely to be our conclusion.

___________

1. This is too strong. We don’t know if they can or cannot be saved; only that it becomes harder as the number of individuals decreases.
2. Too strong a conclusion. See A.
3. CORRECT. See analysis above.
4. This doesn’t follow. We haven’t been comparing what’s “more important”.
5. This REALLY doesn’t follow. It is never indicated that study of endangered species can be harmful.

Recap: The question begins with “The better we understand the behavior and ecological niche”. It is a Complete the Argument question. Learn how to master LSAT Complete the Argument questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.