PrepTest 126, Section 4, Question 14
In 1963, a young macaque monkey was observed(82 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- AMutations in the(22 more words not shown)
- BNew patterns of(20 more words not shown)
- COnly when behaviors(20 more words not shown)
- DThe social behaviors(9 more words not shown)
- EThe macaques' new(8 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
The monkeys seem to have discovered a hot tub. One goes into the spring to retrieve food, others follow, and eventually the troop spends winter time there regularly. It's easy to picture one monkey realizing the water feels good and the others learning from that experience.
My first question is whether enjoying the warmth could itself come from their genes. If so, would that undermine the claim about learned social behavior?
Read the conclusion carefully before going further. It says the macaques aren't complete captives of their genetic heritage. It doesn't say genetics play no role. A genetically influenced enjoyment of warmth could coexist with learning a new way to enjoy it. So simply pointing to some genetic influence wouldn't defeat this conclusion.
What we’re looking for
For the required-assumption question, we need room for the behavior to be something other than completely predetermined by genes. If every new behavior appearing over this period had to be genetically predetermined, observing a new habit spread wouldn't support the author's conclusion about learning and passing on social behavior.
Working the answers
- A
The argument doesn't require genetic mutations to occur quickly. That would offer a possible genetic explanation of a change, whereas the author argues that this behavior shows the macaques aren't wholly controlled by genetic inheritance. Whether rapid mutations are possible doesn't supply a required assumption behind that conclusion.
- BCorrect
The author must allow that new behaviors emerging over a few years or decades aren't necessarily genetically predetermined. If such changes always had to be predetermined, this example could not establish freedom from complete genetic control. B makes room for the author's explanation without claiming that every new behavior is learned or that genes never matter.
- C
We're not trying to establish that a genetic alteration occurred. The author uses the spread of a behavior to support a claim about adopting and passing on social behavior. A rule about when we may conclude that genes have changed addresses a different conclusion.
- D
“Completely independent” goes much too far. Genes could influence many aspects of macaque behavior while experience also shaped this particular habit. Even the enjoyment of warmth could have a genetic component. The argument needs to deny complete genetic control, not deny every genetic influence on every social behavior.
- E
The behavior could disappear later without changing what the troop has already learned and passed on. Perhaps the hot spring eventually dries up or stops being warm. We don't need to guarantee future generations' behavior to draw a conclusion from the behavior observed so far.
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