Ergot is a fungus that can infest the seed heads of any grain crop but is common only on rye. Ergot contains chemicals poisonous to humans. Rye was introduced in Europe in the Middle Ages as a crop for land too poor and damp for wheat to grow well. Thus, rye tended to be the staple of the poorer peasants. Which of the following hypotheses is best supported by the information above?
A. Ergot did not occur in Europe prior to the Middle Ages,
B. People in the Middle Ages were well aware of the toxicity of ergot.
C. Before the introduction of rye, no attempts had been made to cultivate the poor and damp land in Europe.
D. in Europe during the Middle Ages, prosperous people were less at risk from ergot poisoning than poor people were.
E. Prior to the Middle Ages, Europe was as densely populated as dependence on a single gain crop permitted.
Explanation: (D) Since rye, the crop most commonly infested by the poisonous ergot fungus, was the staple food of the poorer peasants (due to the land it grew on), it is reasonable to hypothesize that poor people were at a higher risk of ergot poisoning than prosperous people who could afford wheat (which was less commonly infested).
