The importance of systematics in understanding the 8 biodiversity crisis: the role of biological educators

Most students are aware that the Earth is currently experiencing rapid extinction of many species caused either directly or indirectly by human activities. What most students, and many teachers, are unaware of, however, is the fact that the scientific community is only beginning to understand the fantastic diversity of life that our planet displays. Millions of species are still unknown to science and the threat of extinction means that many will be lost forever for study. This is the essence of the biodiversity crisis and it is one of the most important issues in biology today. Systematics is the science dedicated to studying biodiversity, yet few students understand the true nature of the discipline or are taught distortions of what is the primary work of systematists. This paper outlines the important components of systematic biology and their relevance to the biodiversity crisis with some basic suggestions for presentation.