Denying the antecedent

Biological Parallel

'If winter, then hibernate. It's not winter. Therefore, don't hibernate.' Bears who reason this way die—because the cue for hibernation isn't calendar date but photoperiod and fat reserves. Denying the antecedent assumes a single causal pathway when multiple exist. Biological systems use redundant triggers: day length, temperature, food availability. Organisms that rely on single conditionals fail when environments decouple—climate change disrupts hibernation timing precisely because it breaks the antecedent.