32 species

The original sentence contains a typo that might be adding to the confusion. The original sentence should read "The 32 species that make (no s, so the verb agrees with the plural subject 32 species)up the...".

include(s) is a second verb connected to the main subject. Because our subject -- 32 species -- is plural, include is correct. D and E can be eliminated.

As to your question about COMMA+VERBing:

A comma followed by a verb in participle form (-ing or -ed ending) introduces a participial phrase, a modifying phrase that typically modifies the main subject of the preceding clause. For example:

She studied at her desk, straining to focus.

In the sentence above what follows the comma is a participial phrase (it's set of with a comma and then an -ing verb). It therefore doesn't have to modify the think right before the comma (desk). It in fact modifies the main subject of the preceding clause (she).

In my example, this makes sense because she is the entity 'straining to focus'. (Which wouldn't make sense for my example because which sets of a modifying phrase that modifies the thing right before the comma. In "She studied on the couch, which strained to focus" it sounds as though the desk is straining to focus.)

But in the 32 species question, we're in a sort of reverse situation: we want to modify what comes right before the comma and not the main subject.

The which in A makes it clear that the modifying phrase refers to what comes right before the comma (whale).

The particple growing in B and C makes it sound as though the modifying phrase refers to the main subject (32 species). [/i]

Hi GMAT Danny ,

Thanks for your reply.

I have edited the typo error.

Thanks,

Kavin