PrepTest 144

Incorrect. This answer makes the paradox worse! One potential reason for the hissing to develop is to warn or call other bird/reptile ancestors to fight against the predator. If other members of the species couldn't hear the hissing, either, then it's hard to imagine what the purpose was!

Incorrect. This might explain the survival of the bird/reptile ancestor, but it doesn't explain how the hissing worked to protect it when the predator couldn't hear it.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Paradox

Stimulus Summary:
Bird/reptile ancestors developed hissing as a threat device against predators, which is weird since none of the predators alive at the time could have heard the hissing.

Answer Anticipation:
Remember that Paradox questions task us with figuring out how the two elements in the paradox could coincide—we're not allowed to call one of the elements of the paradox into question or state that it didn't happen.

So here, we need to find a way that a hissing could scare away predators who can't hear it. Any answer that explains some other effect the hissing has that's not sound-related and could plausibly scare away predators will be correct.

Answer Explanation:
This answer provides another means by which the hissing could help protect the ancestor other than the sound it made. The hissing was just secondary to the increase in size that could scare off predators.

Key Takeaway:
Start all Paradox questions by clearly defining the paradox. It's easy to get distracted by elements within the paradox that could use explaining, but it's the larger paradox that the correct answer will address.

Incorrect. While this might explain why this threat device would be used instead of other ones the ancestors had, it doesn't explain why it worked since the predators couldn't hear it.

Incorrect. Few predators are still predators, and this answer doesn't explain why the hissing developed if those predators lacked the ability to hear it.