"Deinonychosaurs had a skull that resumbled those of the moderm birds and so were likely an important evolutionary link between lizard-like dinosaurs and birds alive today"

Why is E the incorrect answer?

The skulls of the Deinoychosaurs remembled those of the modern birds ...
It is parallel as the skulls of the dinosaurs are being compared to the skulls of the birds

It more importatnly matches the plural "were" that follows the sentence (and so 'were').

The book chooses answer choice B which states "Deinocychosaurs had a skull resembling a modern bird's and so were... this must be incorrect. How can the singular 'skull' be paired up with 'were'??

This one comes down down to meaning. The deinonychosaurs were the link between the dinosaurs and modern birds -
In E, it makes it sound as if the skulls were the link between dinosaurs and birds, which doesn't make as much sense.

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so is Deinonychosaurs considered plural?
I ask because the sentence says "WERE"
Deinonychosaurs had a skull resembling a modern bird's and so were

How can this match?

Shouldnt it say
Deinonychosaurs have skulls .......and so were.

I think there is a singular vs plural problem.

Yes, Deinonychosaurs is considered plural.
"Had" can go with either singular OR plural. (If you change it to "have" then you've change the tense to present tense, and these are extinct animals.)
(The girls all had dresses. --or-- Jennifer had a hat.)
"Were" goes with plural.
(The girls were wearing dresses.)


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