The correct answer is D) In recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased.
Explanation:
This position is stated in the opening sentence. It is also highlighted in the third sentence. There it states that the rate at which plant and animal species are becoming extinct is many times (in thousands) higher than what it used to be.
If you backtracked a little to the second sentence, the writer attempts to actually put a date to the time when all plant and animal species would have been completely wiped out.
