Systematics is the field which ( a ) provides scientific names for organisms , ( b ) describes them , ( c ) preserves collections of them , ( d ) provides classifications for the organisms , keys for their identification , and data on their distributions , ( e ) investigates their evolutionary histories , and ( f ) considers their environmental adaptations . Systematic biology ( hereafter called simply systematics ) is the field that ( a ) provides scientific names for organisms , ( b ) describes them , ( c ) preserves collections of them , ( d ) provides classifications for the organisms , keys for their identification , and data on their distributions , ( e ) investigates their evolutionary histories , and ( f ) considers their environmental adaptations .