GRE Reading Comprehension
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Source: XDF
Biologists have long maintained that two groups of pinnipeds, sea lions and walruses, are descended from a terrestrial bearlike animal, whereas the remaining group, seals, shares an ancestor with weasels. But the recent discovery of detailed similarities in the skeletal structure of the flippers in all three groups undermines the attempt to explain away superficial resemblance as due to convergent evolution — the independent development of similarities between unrelated groups in response to similar environmental pressures. Flippers may indeed be a necessary response to aquatic life; turtles, whales, and dugongs also have them. But the common detailed design found among the pinnipeds probably indicates a common ancestor. Moreover, walruses and seals drive themselves through the water with thrusts of their hind flippers, but sea lions use their front flippers. If anatomical similarity in the flippers resulted from similar environmental pressures, as posited by the convergent evolution theory, one would expect walruses and seals, but not seals and sea lions, to have similar flippers.
Question List: 1 2
In presenting the argument in the passage, the author does which of the following?
- A Contends that key terms in an opposing view have been improperly used.
- B Contends that opponents have purposely obscured important evidence.
- C Shows that two theories thought to be in conflict are actually complementary.
- D Shows that advocates of a theory have not always stated their view in the same manner.
- E Shows that an implication of a theory is contradicted by the facts.