Chapter 5: Analyzing Informational Text
By     Chapter 5: Analyzing Informational Text

Read the passage, and answer the questions that follow.

Bad Science in the Bone Wars

1 Even though the dinosaur named “brontosaurus” continues to appear in books, cartoons, and movies, it’s long been known that the brontosaurus never actually existed. In fact, the Brontosaurus was a made up dinosaur that was created from the skeleton bones from other dinosaurs. The “discovery” of the Brontosaurus happened when two rival paleontologists began a feud called the Bone Wars.
2 Marsh and Cope became friends and colleagues after meeting each other in Germany in the mid-1800s. At the time, Western Europe, not the United States, was at the forefront of dinosaur research. However, America became the center of attention for Marsh and Cope after competition among scientists to find dinosaur bones became intense after a dinosaur skeleton was discovered on a New Jersey farm. Both men were swept up in the excitement of finding dinosaur remains. And their determination to find the most dinosaur bones led to a bitter feud and the end of their friendship. This feud also led to Marsh and Cope spying on each other and stealing each other’s dinosaur bones. Their work was done quickly and sloppily. They misidentified fossils, created reconstructions that were full of errors, and published papers about dinosaurs based on insufficient data.
3 Perhaps the best-known example of the men’s carelessness was the Brontosaurus. In 1878, Marsh discovered a long-necked dinosaur skeleton that was missing its skull. He named this dinosaur Apatosaurus. Marsh used a skull from another dinosaur to make his discovery a complete dinosaur skeleton. Later that same year, Marsh found another dinosaur skeleton that he thought was a completely different species of dinosaur. Marsh named this “new” dinosaur Brontosaurus. However, in his haste, Marsh did not realize that his “new” dinosaur was actually a more complete adult Apatosaurus.
4 In 1903, two responsible scientists discovered Marsh’s mistake. After carefully examining both skeletons, they determined that both dinosaurs were actually Apatosauruses. But because of Marsh’s quest for fame, and his resulting carelessness, the Brontosaurus myth has been taught, learned, and cherished as truth for years. Further, the bitterness between Marsh and Cope damaged the trustworthiness within the scientific community, even driving the founder of vertebrate paleontology out of the field.
5 Some good did come out of the Bone Wars. Marsh and Cope’s discoveries sparked an interest in expanding the field of paleontology. And the Bone Wars led to more thorough and accurate studies from other scientists who wanted to discover the truth about dinosaurs, not falsify information to seek fame and glory. Thanks to Marsh and Cope, dinosaur skeletons were placed in museums. Photographs and drawings of dinosaur fossils were published in newspapers, magazines, and journals. And the general public was introduced to the mysterious and fascinating creatures that roamed planet Earth millions of years ago.

5. Part A.

What is the author’s claim?

A
B
C
D
5. Part B.

Which paragraph supports the answer to Part A?

A
B
C
D