#16 - A recent study carefully tracked the specific behaviors of

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (A).

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[Delanoking1]

Is C wrong because environmental factors and different from cultural factors?

[Jeff Wren]

Hi Delanoking,

While it is true that environmental factors are not synonymous with cultural factors, Answer C would still be incorrect even if it had used "cultural challenges" rather than "environmental challenges."

The argument concludes that cultural factors rather than genetics likely determine certain behaviors based on the fact that one group of an East African chimpanzee subspecies actually behaved more similarly to the West African chimpanzee subspecies. The argument assumes that chimpanzees of different subspecies have more genetic differences than chimpanzees of the same subspecies. The argument also assumes that the group of the East African chimpanzee subspecies that behaved more similarly to the West African chimpanzee subspecies has a more similar culture to those West African chimpanzees than to the other West African subspecies, and that this similarity in culture explains the similarities in behavior.

To strengthen this argument, we'd actually want to show that the groups that behaved similarly had similar cultures.

Even if Answer C had used "cultural challenges" rather than "environmental challenges," it would actually weaken the argument because it would indicate that the East African subspecies (including the group that behaved similarly to the West African subspecies) actually have different cultures than the West Africans subspecies (since they are in different locations in Africa). If they have different cultures, then it wouldn't make sense that culture explains the similarities in their behaviors.