Publications

2022

61. Testo WL, AL de Gasper, S Molino, JM Gabriel y Gálan, A Salino, VA de Oliveira Dittrich, and EB Sessa. (2022) Deep vicariance and frequent transoceanic dispersal shape the evolutionary history of a globally distributed fern family. American Journal of Botany. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16062 PDF

60. Marchant DB, G Chen, S Cai, J Jenkins, S Shu, C Plott, J Webber, J Lovell, G He, L Sandor, M Williams, S Rajasekar, A Healey, K Barry, Y Zhang, EB Sessa, PG Wolf, A Harkess, F-W Li, P Schafran, A Becker, L Gramzow, D Xue, Y Wu, F Chen, T Tong, Y Wang, F Dai, S Hua, H Wang, S Xu, F Xu, H Duan, G Theißen, RJ Schmitz, D Stevenson, B Ambrose, JA Banks, JH Leebens-Mack, J Grimwood, J Schmutz, PS Soltis, DE Soltis, and Z-H Chen. (2022) Ancient yet Dynamic: The Evolution of a Fern Genome. Nature Plants 8(9): 1038–1051. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01226-7 PDF

59. Karichu MJ, BK Ngarega, GE Onjalalaina, P Kamau, and EB Sessa. (2022) Ecological niche modeling predicts the potential distributions of African Azolla species and their implications for African wetland ecosystems. Ecology and Evolution 12(8): e9210. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9210 PDF

58. Pelosi JA, EH Kim, WB Barbazuk, and EB Sessa. Phylotranscriptomics illuminates the placement of whole genome duplications and gene retention in ferns. Frontiers in Plant Sciences 13: 882441. 23 pages. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpls.2022.882441 PDF

57. Pinson JB, SM Chambers, and EB Sessa. The spatial separation of Callistopteris baueriana (Hymenophyllaceae) sporophytes and gametophytes along elevation gradients on the island of Oahu, Hawai’i. American Fern Journal 112(1): 1–16. doi: https://doi.org/10.1640/0002-8444-112.1.1 PDF

2021

56. Fawcett S, AR Smith, M Sundue, JG Burleigh, EB Sessa, L-Y Kuo, C-W Chen, WL Testo, M Kessler, GoFlag Consortium, and DS Barrington. A global phylogenomic analysis of the Thelypteridaceae. Systematic Botany 46(4): 891–915. doi: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364421X16370109698650 PDF

55. Valle N, P Anonenko, L Endara, EC Davis, G Somarriba, EB Sessa, F Luo, S Carey, S Dogan, JG Burleigh, and S McDaniel. Community science, storytelling, or inquiry-based learning? Evaluating three technology-enhanced pedagogical approaches in an online botany course. The American Biology Teacher 83(8): 513–520. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2021.83.8.513 PDF

54. Riibe L, M Sundue, EB Sessa, and WL Testo. A reassessment of the little-known Amazonian fern Diplazium praestans based on molecular and morphological evidence. Systematic Botany 46(2): 260–272. doi: 10.1600/036364421X16231782047451 PDF

53. Tribble CM, J Martínez-Gómez, CC Howard, J Males, V Sosa, EB Sessa, N Cellinese, and CD Specht. Get the shovel: Evolutionary complexities of below ground organs in geophytes. American Journal of Botany 108(3): 1–16. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1623 PDF

52. Trotta L, ZA Siders, EB Sessa, J Possley, and B Baiser. The role of phylogenetic scale in Darwin’s Naturalization Conundrum. Diversity and Distributions 27: 618–631. doi: 10.1111/ddi.13220 PDF

51. Pelosi JA and EB Sessa. From genomes to populations: a meta-analysis and review of fern population genetics. International Journal of Plant Sciences 182(5): 325–343. doi: 10.1086/713442 PDF

50. Cai S, Y Huang, F Chen, X Zhang, EB Sessa, C Zhao, DB Marchant, D Xue, G Chen, F Dai, JH Leebens-Mack, G Zhang, S Shabala, JM Christie, MR Blatt, E Nevo, PS Soltis, DE Soltis, P Franks, F Wu, and Z-H Chen. Evolution of rapid blue-light response linked to explosive diversification of ferns in Angiosperm forests. New Phytologist 230: 1201–1213. doi: 10.1111/nph.17135 PDF

49. Howard CC, CM Tribble, J Martínez-Gómez, EB Sessa, CD Specht, and N Cellinese. 1, 2, 3, GO!: Venturing beyond gene ontologies in plant evolutionary research. American Journal of Botany 108(3): 1–5. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1622 PDF

48. Breinholt JW, SB Carey, GP Tiley, EC Davis, L Endara, SF McDaniel, LG Neves, EB Sessa, M von Konrat, S Fawcett, SM Ickert-Bond, PH Labiak, J Larraín, M Lehnert, LR Lewis, NS Nagalingum, N Patel, SA Rensing, WL Testo, A Vasco, JC Villarreal, EW Williams, JG Burleigh. Target enrichment probe set for resolving the flagellate plant tree of life. Applications in Plant Sciences 9(1): e11406. doi: 10.1002/aps3.11406 PDF

47. Hornych O, WL Testo, EB Sessa, JE Watkins, C Campany, J Pittermann, L Ekrt. Insights into the evolutionary history and widespread occurrence of antheridiogen systems in ferns. New Phytologist 229(1): 607–619. doi: 10.1111/nph.16836 PDF

2020

46. Marques E, C Krieg, E Dacosta, E Bueno, EB Sessa, RV Penmetsa, and EB von Wettberg. The impact of domestication on above- and below- ground trait responses to nitrogen fertilization in wild and cultivated genotypes of chickpea (Cicer sp.). Frontiers in Genetics 11: 576338. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2020.576338 PDF

45. Shepherd KA, EA Johnson, AG Gardner, BJ Lepschi, EB Sessa, and RS Jabaily. The concluding chapter: Recircumscription of Goodenia (Goodeniaceae) to include four allied genera with an updated infrageneric classification. PhytoKeys 152: 27–104. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.152.49604 PDF

44. Luo F, P Antonenko, N Valle, EB Sessa, JG Burleigh, L Endara, S McDaniel, S Carey, and EC Davis. Collaborative design reasoning in a large interdisciplinary learning tool design project. International Journal of Designs for Learning 11(1): 85–97. doi: 10.14434/ijdl.v11i1.25633 PDF

43. de la Fuente P, JM Gabriel y Galán, S Molino, EB Sessa, and LG Quintanilla. Character expression, reproductive barriers and origin of the rare fern hybrid Asplenium × aran-tohanum (Aspleniaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 306:24. doi: 10.1007/s00606-020-01658-8 PDF

2019

42. Marchant DB, EB Sessa, PG Wolf, K Heo, WB Barbazuk, PS Soltis, and DE Soltis. The C-Fern (Ceratopteris richardii) genome: insights into plant genome evolution with the first partial homosporous fern genome assembly. Scientific Reports 9:18181. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-53968-8 PDF

41. One Thousand Plant Transcriptomes Initiative*. One thousand plant transcriptomes and the phylogenomics of green plants. Nature 574: 679–685. *A consortium of 192 authors. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1693-2 PDF

40. S Kinosian, WL Testo, SM Chambers, and EB Sessa. Using RAD data to confirm parentage of polyploids in a reticulate complex of ferns. American Fern Journal 109(3): 267-282. Invited for a special issue on fern genomics. doi: 10.1640/0002-8444-109.3.267  PDF

39. Testo WL, AR Field, EB Sessa, and M Sundue. Phylogenetic and morphological analyses support the resurrection of Dendroconche and the recognition of two new genera in Polypodiaceae subfamily MicrosoroideaeSystematic Botany 44(4): 1–16. doi: 10.1600/036364419X15650157948607 PDF

38. Molino S, JM Gabriel y Galán, EB Sessa, and P Wasowicz. A multi-character review of Struthiopteris leads to the rescue of Spicantopsis (Blechnaceae, Polypodiopsida). Taxon 68(2): 185–198. doi: 10.1002/tax.12036  PDF

37. Molino S, JM Gabriel y Galán, P Wasowicz, P de la Fuente, and EB Sessa. The Struthiopteris spicant (Blechnaceae, Polypodiopsida) complex in Western Europe, with proposals for some taxonomic and nomenclatural changes. Plant Systematics and Evolution 305: 255–268. doi: 10.1007/s00606-019-1565-0 PDF

36. Testo ML, EB Sessa, and DS Barrington. The rise of the Andes promoted rapid diversification in Neotropical Phlegmariurus (Lycopodiaceae). New Phytologist 222: 604–613. doi: 10.1111/nph.15544 PDF

35. Rivero R, EB Sessa, and R Zenil-Ferguson. EyeChrom and CCDBcurator: Visualizing chromosome count data from plants. Applications in Plant Science 7(1): e1207. doi: 10.1002/aps3.1207 PDF

34. Sessa EB. Commentary: Polyploidy as a mechanism for surviving global change. New Phytologist 221(1): 5–6. This is a commentary invited by the editors. doi: 10.1111/nph.15513 PDF

2018

33. Trotta L, B Baiser, J Possley, D Li, J Lange, S Martin, and EB Sessa. Community phylogeny of the globally critically imperiled pine rockland ecosystem. American Journal of Botany 105(10): 1735–1747. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1168 PDF

32. Pinson JB, SR Manchester, and EB Sessa. Culcita remberi sp. nov., a tree fern from the Miocene of northern Idaho. International Journal of Plant Sciences 179(8): 635–639. doi: doi.org/10.1086/698938 PDF

31. Jabaily RS, KA Shepherd, PS Michener, CJ Bush, R Rivero, AG Gardner, and EB Sessa. Employing mitochondrial sequences and hypothesis testing to resolve recalcitrant backbone nodes in Goodenia s.l. (Goodeniaceae)Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 127: 502–512. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2018.05.005 PDF

30. Sessa EB, M Vicent, SM Chambers, and JM Gabriel y Galán. Evolution and reciprocal origins in Mediterranean ferns: The Asplenium obovatum and A. adiantum-nigrum complexes. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 103(2): 175–187. doi: 10.3417/2018108 PDF

29.  Sessa EB, SM Chambers, D Li, L Trotta, L Endara, JG Burleigh, and B Baiser. Community assembly of the ferns of Florida. American Journal of Botany. 105(3): 549–564. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1073 PDF

28. Soltis DE, M Moore, EB Sessa, S Smith, PS Soltis. Using and navigating the plant tree of life. American Journal of Botany. 105(3): 287–290. doi: 10.1002/ajb2.1071 PDF

27. Sessa EB. (2018) Evolution and Classification of Ferns and Lycophytes. Pages 179–200 in: Current Advances in Fern Research. H Fernández, Ed. Springer: Cham, Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-75103-0_9  Request PDF

2017

26. Pinson JB, SM Chambers, and EB Sessa. (2017) Vittaria graminifolia (Pteridaceae) and Didymoglossum peterseii (Hymenopyllaceae) in Broxton Rocks, GA. American Fern Journal 107(4): 257–264. doi: 10.1640/0002-8444-107.4.257  PDF

25. Vicent M, JM Gabriel y Galán, and EB Sessa. (2017) Phylogenetics and historical biogeography of Lomaridium (Blechnaceae, Polypodiopsida). Taxon 66(6): 1304–1316. doi: 10.12705/666.3  PDF

24. Berger BA, J Han, EB Sessa, AG Gardner, KA Shepherd, V Ricigliano, RS Jabaily, and DG Howarth. (2017) The unexpected depths of genome skimming data: a case study examining Goodeniaceae floral symmetry genes. Applications in Plant Sciences. 5(10): 1700042doi: 10.3732/apps.1700042  PDF

Media coverage:

23. Cai S, G Chen, Yu. Wang, Y Huang, DB Marchant, G Jing, Yi. Wang, Q Yang, F Dai, A Hills, PJ Franks, E Nevo, DE Soltis, PS Soltis, EB Sessa, P Wolf, D Xue, G Zhang, BJ Pogson, and Z-H Chen. (2017) Evolutionary conservation of ABA signaling for stomatal closure. Plant Physiology 174(2): 732-747. doi: 10.1104/pp.16.01848  PDF

22. Chambers SM, JE Watkins, Jr., and EB Sessa. (2017) Differences in desiccation tolerance among populations of a gametophyte-only fern. American Journal of Botany. 104(4): 598–607. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1600279  PDF

21. Sessa EB, A Juslén, H Väre, and SM Chambers. (2017) Into Africa: Molecular phylogenetics and historical biogeography of sub-Saharan African woodferns (Dryopteris). American Journal of Botany. 104(3): 447–486. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1600392  PDF

20. Pinson JB, SM Chambers, J Nitta, L-Y Kuo, and EB Sessa. (2017) The separation of generations: Biology and biogeography of long-lived, sporophyteless fern gametophytes. International Journal of Plant Sciences. 178(1): 1–18. doi: 10.1086/688773  PDF

2016

19. PPG 1: The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group*. (2016) A community-derived classification for extant lycophytes and ferns. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 54(6) 563-603. doi: 10.1111/jse.12229  PDF

*This project was organized by E Schuettpelz, H Schneider, AR Smith, P Hovenkamp, J Prado, G Rouhan, A Salino, M Sundue, TE Almeida, B Parris, EB Sessa, AR Field, AL de Gasper, CJ Rothfels, MD Windham, M Lehnert, B Dauphin, A Ebihara, S Lehtonen, PB Schwartsburd, J Metzgar, L-B Zhang, L-Y Kuo, PJ Brownsey, M Kato, and MD Arana, with 68 additional contributors.

  • This paper was selected as a 2016 JSE Outstanding paper, a designation given annually to the two most-cited papers published in the journal in a given year.

18. Link-Pérez MA, TG Ludwig, CJ Ledford, MH Seabolt, and EB Sessa. (2016) Lectotypification of Adiantopsis alata (Pteridaceae) and descriptions of new palmate species in the Guiana Shield. Systematic Botany 41(4): 906–918. doi: 10.1600/036364416X694008  PDF

17. Haufler CH, KM Pryer, E Schuettpelz, EB Sessa, DR Farrar, R Moran, JJ Schneller, JE Watkins, Jr., and MD Windham. (2016) Sex and the single gametophyte: Revising the homosporous plant life cycle in light of contemporary research. BioScience 66(11): 928–937. doi: 10.1093/biosci/biw108  PDF

Media coverage:

16. Visger CJ, CG Germain-Aubrey, M Patel, EB Sessa, PS Soltis, and DE Soltis. (2016) Niche divergence between diploid and autotetraploid Tolmiea (Saxifragaceae). American Journal of Botany 103(8): 1396–1406. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1600130  PDF

15. Sessa EB, WL Testo, and JE Watkins, Jr. (2016) On the widespread capacity for, and functional significance of, extreme inbreeding in ferns. New Phytologist 211 (3): 1108–1119. doi: 10.1111/nph.13985  PDF

NP211cover

14. Sessa EB and JP Der. (2016) Evolutionary genomics of ferns and lycophytes. Pages. 215–254 in: Genomes and Evolution of Charophytes, Bryophytes, and Ferns. SA Rensing, Ed. Advances in Botanical Research, vol. 78. Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/bs.abr.2016.02.001  Request PDF

13. Gardner AG*, EB Sessa*, P Michener, E Johnson, KA Shepherd, DG Howarth, and RS Jabaily. (2016) Utilizing next-generation sequencing to resolve the backbone and inform taxonomy of the Core Goodeniaceae. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 94: 605–617. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.10.003  PDF *These authors contributed equally.

2015

12. Li Z, A Baniaga, EB Sessa, M Scascitelli, SW Graham, LH Rieseberg, and MS Barker. (2015) Early genome duplications in conifers and other seed plants. Science Advances 1(10): e1501084. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1501084  PDF

Media coverage:

11. Wolf PG, EB Sessa, DB Marchant, F-W Li, CJ Rothfels, EM Sigel, MA Gitzendanner, CJ Visger, JA Banks, DE Soltis, PS Soltis, KM Pryer, and JP Der. (2015) An exploration into fern genome space. Genome Biology and Evolution 7(9): 2533–2544. doi: 10.1093/gbe/evv163  PDF

10. Sessa EB, L-B Zhang, H Väre, and A Juslén. (2015) What we do (and don’t) know about ferns: Dryopteris as a case study. Systematic Botany 40(2): 387–399. doi: 10.1600/036364415X688844  PDF

9. Tank DC, JM Eastman, MW Pennell, PS Soltis, DE Soltis, CE Hinchliff, JW Brown, EB Sessa, and LJ Harmon. (2015) Nested radiations and the pulse of angiosperm diversification: increased diversification rates often follow whole genome duplication. New Phytologist 207: 454-467. doi: 10.1111/nph.13491  PDF

8. Lessl JT, D-X Guan, EB Sessa, B Rathinasabapathi, and LQ Ma. (2015) Transfer of arsenic and phosphorus from soils to the fronds and spores of arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata and non arsenic-hyperaccumulators. Plant and Soil 390: 49–60. doi: 10.1007/s1110  PDF

2014

7. Sessa EB, JA Banks, MS Barker, JP Der, AM Duffy, SW Graham, M Hasebe, J Langdale, F-W Li, DB Marchant, KM Pryer, CJ Rothfels, SJ Roux, ML Salmi, EM Sigel, DE Soltis, PS Soltis, DW Stevenson, and PG Wolf. (2014) Between two fern genomes. GigaScience 3:15. doi: 10.1186/2047-217X-3-15  PDF

6. Sessa EB and TJ Givnish. (2014) Leaf form and photosynthetic physiology of Dryopteris species distributed along light gradients in eastern North America. Functional Ecology 28(1): 108-123. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.12150  PDF

2012

5. Sessa EB, EA Zimmer, and TJ Givnish. (2012) Unraveling reticulate evolution in North American Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae). BMC Evolutionary Biology 12(1): 104. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-12-104  PDF

4. Sessa EB, EA Zimmer, and TJ Givnish. (2012) Reticulate evolution on a global scale: a nuclear phylogeny for New World Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae)Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution 64(3): 563-581. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.05.009  PDF

3. Zhang L-B, L Zhang, S-Y Dong, EB Sessa, X-F Gao, and A Ebihara. (2012) Molecular circumscription and major evolutionary lineages of the fern genus Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae). BMC Evolutionary Bio 12(12): 180. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-12-180  PDF

2. Sessa EB, EA Zimmer, and TJ Givnish. (2012) Phylogeny, divergence times, and historical biogeography of New World Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae). American Journal of Botany 99(4): 730-750. doi: 10.3732/ajb.1100294  PDF

Before 2012

1. Ross RM, F Allaby, CS Buckler, EY Butler, D Gabreski, L Paciulli, KJ Gremillion, and WD Allmon. (2008) The Hyde Park Mastodon Matrix Project, with particular reference to the mollusks and seeds. In: Mastodon Paleobiology, Taphonomy, and Paleoenvironment in the Late Pleistocene of New York State: Studies on the Hyde Park, Chemung, and North Java Sites [WD Allmon and PL Nester, eds]. Paleontographica Americana 61. PDF