LSAT Explanation PT 20, S1, Q6: Besides laying eggs in her own

LSAT Question Stem

The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Most Strongly supported question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze and summarize the passage. The passage tells us about the nesting behavior of female wood ducks. In addition to laying eggs in their own nests, they will also lay an egg in another female's nest if they see her leaving. Under natural conditions, this behavior is rare because the nests are well-hidden. However, when people provide nesting boxes to help the ducks breed, this behavior becomes problematic, as the boxes become overcrowded with eggs, causing few or none of them to hatch.

To make this more relatable, let's use an example. Imagine a group of people living in a small village where everyone has their own garden. They have a tradition of planting a seed in their neighbor's garden when they see them leave. In a natural setting, with gardens spread out and hidden, this would rarely happen. However, if someone built a community garden in a central location, the villagers would plant too many seeds there, causing the plants to compete for resources and ultimately resulting in fewer plants growing.

Now let's look at the question type, which is a Most Strongly Supported (MSS) question. We need to find an answer choice that is strongly supported by the statements in the passage.

a) The passage does not mention whether wood ducks prefer nest boxes over natural nesting sites. We cannot assume that they choose nest boxes only when natural sites are unavailable. This answer choice is not supported by the passage.

b) The passage actually suggests that overcrowding in nests is harmful to the ducks' breeding efforts. Therefore, ducks that often see other female wood ducks might not be the most successful in their breeding efforts. This answer choice is likely incorrect.

c) The passage does not mention the size of nesting boxes compared to natural nesting sites. We cannot infer that nesting boxes have less space for eggs simply because they become overcrowded. This answer choice is not supported by the passage.

d) This answer choice is correct. The main issue with nesting boxes is that they are too visible to other wood ducks, causing overcrowding. If the boxes were less visible, they would likely be more effective in helping wood ducks breed.

e) The passage does not discuss the destruction of wood ducks' habitat, so we cannot assume that nesting boxes are needed for this reason. This answer choice is not supported by the passage.

In conclusion, the correct answer choice is (D). The nesting boxes would be more effective in helping wood ducks breed if they were less visible to other wood ducks than they currently are.