The giant Chicxulub crater in Mexico provides indisputable evidence that a huge asteroid, about six miles across, struck Earth a
round the time many of the last dinosaur species were becoming extinct. But this catastrophe was probably not responsible for most of these extinctions. Any major asteroid strike kills many organisms in or near the region of the impact, but there is little evidence that such a strike could have a worldwide effect. Indeed, some craters even larger than the Chicxulub crater were made during times in Earth’s history when there were no known extinctions. Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument?
(A) The vast majority of dinosaur species are known to have gone extinct well before the time of the asteroid impact that produced the Chicxulub crater.
(B) The size of a crater caused by an asteroid striking Earth generally depends on both the size of that asteroid and the force of its impact.
(C) Fossils have been discovered of a number of dinosaurs that clearly died as a result of the asteroid impact that produced the Chicxulub crater.
(D) There is no evidence that any other asteroid of equal size struck Earth at the same time as the asteroid that produced the Chicxulub crater.
(E) During the period immediately before the asteroid that produced the Chicxulub crater struck, most of the world’s dinosaurs lived in or near the region of the asteroid’s impending impact.
E). During the period immediately before the asteroid that produced the Chicxulub crater struck, most of the world’s dinosaurs lived in or near the region of the asteroid’s impending impact.
Explanation:
As per the question, option E displays the statement that would most likely weaken the argument, if true as it functions to deny the author's claim that 'when the asteroid(around six miles ago) struck the Earth, the last dinosaur species were becoming extinct' by presenting contradictory statement 'most of the world’s dinosaurs lived in or near the region of the asteroid’s impending impact.' Thus, this statement(if true) would not only weaken the argument but also influence the author's credibility and character among the audience. Thus, <u>option E</u> is the correct answer.
