Question

Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows:

The emerging bio-technological paradigm of de-extinction—utilizing CRISPR-based gene editing and somatic cell nuclear transfer to resurrect proxy versions of extinct organisms—is increasingly promoted by advocates as a transformative frontier in conservation genetics. However, this techno-centric enthusiasm threatens to displace the foundational principles of modern biodiversity stewardship. Attempting to reintroduce functional proxies of long-extinct species into contemporary ecosystems overlooks the critical reality that habitat fragmentation, anthropogenic climate disruption, and invasive species dynamics remain the paramount drivers of modern ecological collapse. Reintroduced proxies would inevitably enter severely degraded biomes incapable of supporting their historical ecological roles, rendering such interventions ecologically nominal at best.

Furthermore, directing vast financial capital and institutional bandwidth toward high-profile de-extinction initiatives creates a severe resource asymmetry. It diverts finite conservation funding away from baseline habitat preservation, indigenous community-led stewardship, and the immediate protection of critically endangered extant species currently on the brink of extinction. While resurrection biology may yield speculative advancements in genomic manipulation, framing it as a panacea for global biodiversity loss represents a dangerous technological solutionism. True ecological resilience cannot be engineered through isolated genetic resurrection; it requires preserving the holistic integrity of living ecosystems and addressing the systemic socio-economic drivers of environmental degradation.

Which of the following statements correctly capture the core thesis and central argument advanced by the author in the passage?