OG12 Logic Question No. 13

sunnylbs

OG12 No. 13
In Swartkans territory, archaeologists discovered charred bone fragments dating back one million years. Analysis of the fragments, which came from a variety of animals, showed that they had been heated to temperatures no higher than those produced in experimental campfires made from branches of white stinkwood, the most common tree around Swartkans.
Which of the following, if true, together with the information above, provide the best basis for the claim that the charred bone fragments are evidence of the use of fire by early hominids?
A. The white stinkwood tree is used for building material by the present-day inhabitants of Swartkans.
B. Forest fires can hear wood to a range of temperatures that occur in campfires.
C. The bone fragments were fitted together by the archaeologists to form the complete skeletons of several animals.
D. Apart from the Sartkans discovery, there is reliable evidence that early hominids used fire as many as 500,000 years ago.
E. The bone fragments were found in several distinct layers of limestone that contained primitive cutting tools know to have been used by early hominids.

I understand that the right answer is E. But what is the function of the highlighted sentence? I chose C originally ...

sdcar2010

The highlighted sentence says the bone fragments could have been heated by campfires made from white stinkwood.

There are two possibilites: 1) those bone fragments were leftovers after hominids cooked the animals using campfire; 2) those bone fragments were from animals killed by natural fire.

E shows that hominids probably used cutting tools to deal with the meats.

sunnylbs

But from the stem, the fragments had been heated to temperatures no higher than those produced in experimental campfires made from stinkwood, so it means that they may be of the same temperature... It still does not exclude your 1st possiblity...

sdcar2010

Strengthener does not need to make the argument airtight. It only sheds more positive light on the argument and makes the argument more likely. That's why in the question stem, it says "provide the best basis for the claim" instead of "prove the claim."

sunnylbs

看来还是得好好看题啊~谢啦~

璐璐Grace

楼主能解释一下，选项和问题的相关性嘛？  
   
小女子挠头中~~~~！！！谢谢