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 Microsoroideae. Systematic 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): 1700042. doi: 10.3732/apps.1700042 PDF
Media coverage:
- AAAS EurekAlert!: Sifting gold from the data deluge
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:
- University of Kansas News: KU researcher points finger at inaccuracy in most biology textbooks
- KCTV News: KU professor won’t ‘leaf’ publishers alone, says textbooks are wrong about ferns
- Lawrence Journal-World: The birds and bees of ferns: KU professor’s research proves mainstream science textbooks wrong
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
- This paper was featured on the August 2016 cover of New Phytologist
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:
- ScienceNews: Conifer ancestors had a double dose of DNA
- Phys.org: Researchers find evidence of early genome duplications in conifers and other plants
- Science: Why is your Christmas tree so big? An ancient gift of extra genes
- GenomeWeb: Transcriptome analysis reveals whole genome duplications in conifer lineage
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