medium · SAT Reading & Writing

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: - Phytoliths are microscopic silica structures found in many plant tissues. - They are highly durable and can survive in soil for thousands of years after a plant decays. - Different plant species produce phytoliths with distinct shapes and sizes. - Archaeologists analyze phytoliths to reconstruct ancient environments and agricultural practices. - Pollen grains are also used for environmental reconstruction but are more susceptible to degradation in acidic soils than phytoliths are. The student wants to emphasize a difference between phytoliths and pollen grains. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

1. Phytoliths are durable silica structures that vary in shape and size depending on the plant species that produced them.
2. Archaeologists use various microscopic materials, such as phytoliths and pollen grains, to understand ancient agricultural practices.
3. Pollen grains are useful for environmental reconstruction, although they tend to decay more quickly than phytoliths in certain soil types.
4. While both phytoliths and pollen grains help archaeologists reconstruct the past, phytoliths resist degradation in acidic soils better.

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