GMAtPrep - Primary Purpose

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GMAtPrep - Primary Purpose

by GMATMadeEasy » Fri Jun 24, 2011 5:47 am
Anole lizard species that occur together (sympatrically) on certain Caribbean islands occupy different habitats: some live only in the grass, some only on tree trunks, and some only on twigs. These species also differ morphologically: grass dwellers are slender with long tails, tree dwellers are stocky with long legs, twig dwellers are slender but stubby-legged. What is striking about these lizards is not that coexisting species differ in morphology and habitat use (such differences are common among closely related sympatric species), but that the same three types of habitat specialists occur on each of four islands: Puerto Rico, Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. Moreover, the Puerto Rican twig species closely resembles the twig species of Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica in morphology, habitat use, and behavior. Likewise, the specialists for other habitats are similar across the islands.

The presence of similar species on different islands could be variously explained. An ancestral species might have adapted to exploit a particular ecological niche on one island and then traveled over water to colonize other islands. Or this ancestral species might have evolved at a time when the islands were connected, which some of these islands may once have been. After the islands separated, the isolated lizard populations would have become distinct species while also retaining their ancestors' niche adaptations. Both of these scenarios imply that specialization to each niche occurred only once. Alternatively, each specialist could have arisen independently on each of the islands.

If each type of specialist evolved just once, then similar specialists on different islands would be closely related. Conversely, if the specialists evolved independently on each island, then a specialist on one island would be more closely related to other types of anoles on the same island-regardless of their ecological niches-than it would be to a similar specialist on a different island.

Biologists can infer how species are related evolutionarily by comparing DNA sequences for the same genes in different species. Species with similar DNA sequences for these genes are generally more closely related to each other than to species with less-similar DNA sequences. DNA evidence concerning the anoles led researchers to conclude that habitat specialists on one island are not closely related to the same habitat specialists elsewhere, indicating that specialists evolved independently on each island.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. describe some unusual features of anole lizard species
B. account for a particular type of behavior found among anole lizard species
C. contrast two types of evidence that have been used to support a particular hypothesis concerning anole lizard species
D. explain how researchers resolved a particular scientific question concerning anole lizard species
E. examine different explanations for a particular trait common to certain anole lizard species

OA is D.

Could someone explain why E is incorrect? If it could be explained based on the funcion of each paragraph and then predict the primary purpose, it would be great.

I rejected D because I thought in first two paragrpahs,author is providing his assessment and researchers are mentioned from third paragrpah onwards.
Source: — Reading Comprehension |

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by VivianKerr » Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:55 am
PASSAGE MAP

Topic: lizards
Scope: sim/diff. between lizard species in the Caribbean

1: to introduce idea that diff. lizard species can occupy same island (& be sim. to other islands)
2: to offer three theories for sim species/diff. islands phenomenon
3: to explain what evidence would be needed for each theory
4: to describe how DNA helped conclusion (species evolved independently)

Author's POV: does not explicitly endorse any theory, tone is scholarly/neutral, provides the scientists conclusion only

Purpose: to review a unique phenom. w/lizards and show scientists' conclusion re: their origin/evolution

The answer is D because it encompasses the WHOLE passage. The only reason the author raised the discussion of the lizards was to ultimately reveal the findings of the scientists. The other answer choices ignore the purpose of the final paragraph. The final paragraph is very important for "primary purpose" questions since it represents the author's "final destination" in his argument. The other answer choices completely ignore the scientists, their DNA findings, and the final sentence where the author states the truth about the phenomenon.

A - this is true only for the 1st paragraph
B - the "behavior" of the lizards is not the concern, but rather their origin/evolution
C - two "types of evidence" are not offered; the only "evidence" provided is DNA
E - they aren't trying to explain "a particular trait"; they are trying to resolve the idea of how similar species are found on different islands
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by ArpanaAmishi » Mon Jun 27, 2011 2:24 am
Just to add on Vivian Kerr point that 'D' choice is explictly said in final para last couple of lines, so if you got stcuk in two choices 'D' would get more points - if you go on scoring strategy....

I always prefer to choose the answer choice that is explictly said in paras (Correct me if I am wrong)

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by VivianKerr » Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:06 pm
@ArpanaAmishi Yes, for most RC Questions it's preferable to choose the option that is explicitly stated in the passage, as long as that choice ALSO is correctly answering the specificity of the question posed. Scope and tone matter too. :)
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by ArpanaAmishi » Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:17 pm