Final answer:
Systematists classify and organize organisms based on shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships. They construct phylogenetic trees to illustrate these relationships and manage biological diversity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Systematists are scientists who specialize in the study of the classification and organization of organisms. Their work involves gathering and analyzing data to classify organisms based on shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships. Systematists contribute significantly to our understanding of biodiversity and the history of life on Earth by constructing and revising phylogenetic trees, which illustrate these relationships. Despite the complexity and dynamic nature of life, systematists aim to manage and understand life's diversity by categorizing and explaining the evolutionary mechanisms that have led to the observed patterns of diversity.
Answering the student's question, the best explanation of what systematists do is b) Systematists classify and organize organisms based on shared characteristics and evolutionary relationships. This involves using a variety of data sources, such as fossils, morphological features, and genetic analysis, to construct an organism's phylogeny. Phylogenetic trees, while subject to change with new discoveries and evidence, help to map the evolutionary pathways of all life on Earth and manage the vast diversity of organismal life.