请教一JJ

New genetic evidence--together with recent studies of elephants' skeletons, tusks, and other anatomical features----provide compelling support for classifying Africa's forest elephants and its savanna elephants as separate species.

A. provide compelling support for classifying

B. provide compelling support for the classification of

C. provides compelling support for the  classification of

D. provides compelling support for classifying

E. provides compelling support to classify

the given answer is D. but I prefer E. confusing....open to discussion.