Biologists generally agree that birds and dinosaurs are somehow related to one another. The agreement ends there. Hypotheses regarding dinosaurian and avian evolution are unusually diverse—and often at odds with one another. Confusion consequently reigns over a broad spectrum of unanswered questions dealing with avian origins and the biology of dinosaurs and early birds. This confusion has been exacerbated by a paucity of serious attempts to synthesize and evaluate available data on the details of avian and dinosaurian evolution. Too often, the job of summarizing current knowledge of these subjects has fallen to well-meaning but naïve lay authors or reporters. Consequently, both the public and the scientific community have often been misled by widespread dissemination of sensational but weakly founded hypotheses. .

The passage suggests that which of the following could help remedy the problem described in the final sentence?

❑ An article written by a biologist for the general public summarizing current theories about avian and dinosaurian evolution
❑ A close examination of available data on avian and dinosaurian evolution
❑ A new hypothesis regarding the connection between avian and dinosaurian evolution



In the context in which it appears, "sensational" most nearly means

A. dramatic
B. false
C. excellent
D. eminent
E. horrifying