Question

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

Explanation:

An endangered species is one that is at risk of extinction. This is a legal designation in many places, with laws and regulations in place to protect such species. A rare species may not necessarily be legally designated as endangered (it could just naturally have a small population but not be at immediate risk of extinction). "Missing" is not a standard legal conservation designation for species on the path to extinction. "Plentiful" means there are a large number of the species, so it's the opposite of what's needed.

Answer:

endangered