Question

which of the following is a legal designation a species passes through before becoming extinct?
missing
plentiful
endangered
rare

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• "missing" is not a standard legal designation for species conservation status.
• "plentiful" means a species is abundant, which is the opposite of being at risk of extinction.
• "endangered" is a legal designation (under laws like the Endangered Species Act) that a species receives when it is at high risk of extinction, and it is a stage before a species becomes extinct.
• "rare" is a more general term and not a formal legal designation in the context of species approaching extinction.

Answer:

C. endangered (assuming the options are labeled A. missing, B. plentiful, C. endangered, D. rare)