''Gaga'' (gaga lipfern) is a genus of 19 species of

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

s in the family

Pteridaceae Pteridaceae is a family of ferns in the order Polypodiales, including some 1150 known species in ca 45 genera (depending on taxonomic opinions), divided over five subfamilies. The family includes four groups of genera that are sometimes recogni ...

named after American singer and songwriter

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

. Two of the 19 species are newly- described: ''Gaga germanotta'' from Costa Rica, named after the family of the singer (she was born Stefani Germanotta), and ''Gaga monstraparva'', in honor of Gaga's fans, whom she calls "little monsters". According to biologists, the ferns bear a close resemblance to Gaga's costume from the

52nd Annual Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Pe ...

and also bear a distinct DNA sequence spelling GAGA. Except for the two new species, the rest of the ''Gaga'' ferns were reclassified, having previously been assigned to the genus '' Cheilanthes'', based on their outward appearance. Biologists at

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

explained that they listed the ferns with the name ''Gaga'', due to the singer's active support of equality and individual expression. The decision received widespread attention from the science community and the media.

Description

Pryer published her findings in the then-current issue of ''

Systematic Botany Plant taxonomy is the science that finds, identifies, describes, classifies, and names plants. It is one of the main branches of taxonomy (the science that finds, describes, classifies, and names living things). Plant taxonomy is closely allied ...

'', the quarterly publication of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, after a five-year study of the ferns. The 17 species were re-classified once Li was able to confirm by

DNA sequencing DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...

of around 80 samples, that they were distinct in appearance and would be better categorized under a new genus. Pryer used new scientific tools for reorganization of the fern family tree. She also explained that the biology of the ''Gaga'' ferns are "exceptionally obscure" and unattainable due to the sexual crossing between the species. This was attained by their high content of

chromosomes A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

and

asexuality Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity. It may be considered a sexual orientation or the lack thereof. It may also be categorized more widely, to include a broad sp ...

, which resulted in the child ferns being genetically identical to the parent ones, and thus indiscernible. The genus is described as the early offshoot of hemionitid ferns, and is most closely related to genus '' Aspidotis''. Following the characteristics of most ferns, the ''Gaga'' group is homosporous in nature, and produce minute spherical spores that travel and fall down on the ground. They later germinate into heart-shaped

gametophyte A gametophyte () is one of the two alternation of generations, alternating multicellular organism, multicellular phases in the life cycles of plants and algae. It is a haploid multicellular organism that develops from a haploid spore that has on ...

s. The thesis on the species explained that "These independent little organisms can be female, male or even bisexual, depending on growth conditions and what other kinds of gametophytes are around. When conditions are right, they exchange sperm between gametophytes, but when necessary they sometimes can also self-fertilize to produce a new fern."

Background and naming

In September 2012, scientists at

Chulalongkorn University Chulalongkorn University (CU, th, จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย, ), nicknamed Chula ( th, จุฬาฯ), is a public and autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally fo ...

had given Lady Gaga's name to a species of newly identified parasitic wasp, ''

Aleiodes gaga ''Aleiodes gaga'' is a species of parasitoid wasp belonging to the family Braconidae. It was first described by Donald Quicke and Buntika Butcher in 2012 after a single individual was discovered in the Chae Son National Park in Thailand. The ...

''. A month later, researchers at

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

discovered two new species of fern in Central and South America, Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. They were named '' Gaga germanotta'', after the singer's family—she was born Stefani Germanotta—and '' Gaga monstraparva'', after a name for Gaga's fans, known as "little monsters". The ferns were discovered in Costa Rica and Mexico primarily. Another 17 species of ferns had been assigned to the genus '' Cheilanthes'', but were reclassified under ''Gaga'', making a total of 19 species in the genus. According to Kathleen Pryer, president of the

American Fern Society The American Fern Society was founded in 1893. Today, it has more than 1,000 members around the world, with various local chapters. Among its deceased members, perhaps the most famous is Oliver Sacks, who became a member in 1993. Willard N. Clut ...

American Society of Plant Taxonomists The American Society of Plant Taxonomists (ASPT) is a botanical organization formed in 1935 to "foster, encourage, and promote education and research in the field of plant taxonomy, to include those areas and fields of study that contribute to and b ...

and study leader of the research group, they often "listen dto aga'smusic while we do our research... We think that her second album, '' Born This Way'' (2011), is enormously empowering, especially for disenfranchised people and communities like LGBT, ethnic groups, women—and scientists who study odd ferns!" As the team started considering a name for the ferns, they noticed that one of them had the

base pair A base pair (bp) is a fundamental unit of double-stranded nucleic acids consisting of two nucleobases bound to each other by hydrogen bonds. They form the building blocks of the DNA double helix and contribute to the folded structure of both DNA ...

sequence "G–A–G–A" (

guanine Guanine () ( symbol G or Gua) is one of the four main nucleobases found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, the others being adenine, cytosine, and thymine (uracil in RNA). In DNA, guanine is paired with cytosine. The guanine nucleoside is called ...

adenine Adenine () ( symbol A or Ade) is a nucleobase (a purine derivative). It is one of the four nucleobases in the nucleic acid of DNA that are represented by the letters G–C–A–T. The three others are guanine, cytosine and thymine. Its derivati ...

, guanine, adenine) in its DNA. This was noticed by one of the graduate students, Fay-Wei Li, who had scanned the base pairs and found the sequence. The ferns had the ability to self-fertilize and had "fluid definitions of gender". This gave the scientists concrete reason for naming the species as ''Gaga''. The second inspiration came from Gaga's performance of " Poker Face" at the

in 2010. While singing, she had worn an Armani Prive' costume, which was shaped like a heart. It was accompanied by huge shoulder pads, which gave it an appearance of the bisexual reproductive stage of the ferns, called a

. The dress also had the characteristic color of light green. Pryer noticed that the new leaves of the ferns were shaped like the characteristic "paws up" salute displayed by Gaga to her fans.

Species

, the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'' recognized the following species: *'' Gaga angustifolia'' (

Kunth Carl Sigismund Kunth (18 June 1788 – 22 March 1850), also Karl Sigismund Kunth or anglicized as Charles Sigismund Kunth, was a German botanist. He is known for being one of the first to study and categorise plants from the American continents, ...

) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga apiacea'' (

Mickel Mickel is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Andrew Mickel (born 1979), former resident of Springfield, Ohio * Finlay Mickel (born 1977), Scottish skier *John Mickel (born 1971), stock car racer and commentator *John Mickel (polit ...

) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga arizonica'' ( Maxon) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga chaerophylla'' ( M.Martens & Galeotti) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga complanata'' ( A.R.Sm.) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga cuneata'' ( Link) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga decomposita'' (M.Martens & Galeotti) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga decurrens'' (Mickel) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga germanotta'' Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga harrisii'' (Maxon) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga hintoniorum'' ( Mendenh. & G.L.Nesom) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga hirsuta'' (Link) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga kaulfussii'' ( Kunze) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga marginata'' (Kunth) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga membranacea'' ( Davenp.) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga monstraparva'' Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga pellaeopsis'' (Mickel) Fay W.Li & Windham *'' Gaga purpusii'' ( T.Reeves) Fay W.Li & Windham

Distribution

The species are found from Arizona and Texas in the United States south through

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and into

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

as far as southern

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

. The greatest diversity is in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, where 17 of the 19 species occur, and 6 are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Media reception

The naming of the fern after the singer received widespread attention from the science community and the media. Duke University scholar and professor

Cathy Davidson Cathy N. Davidson (born 1949) is an American scholar and university professor. Beginning July 1, 2014, she is a professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She was a professor of English at Duke University in 2006. She ...

, who had been previously associated with the inception of Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, said that it was a "remarkable, unexpected, perfect tribute to name a genus of ferns for Lady Gaga". Amy Briggs from ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

'' added that along with her "dance tunes and memorable meaty fashion choices,

aga Aga or AGA may refer to: Business * Architectural Glass and Aluminum (AGA), a glazing contractor, established in 1970 * AGA (automobile), ''Autogen Gasaccumulator AG'', 1920s German car company *AGA AB, ''Aktiebolaget Svenska Gasaccumulator'', a ...

has another claim to fame: botany." Sean Michaels from ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' remarked that "by honoring Gaga in this way, the academics have doubtless paved the way for a series of fern-based costumes".

David Itzkoff David L. Itzkoff (born March 2, 1976) is an American journalist and writer who is a culture reporter for ''The New York Times''. He is the author of ''Cocaine's Son'', a memoir about growing up with his drug-abusing father. Before joining the '' ...

from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' declared about the naming, "scientists may seem like a pretty poker-faced bunch, but the botanists at Duke University, at least, have a sense of humor about their work and some pop-culture savvy to go with it". James Montgomery from

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noted that Gaga is characterized as a "global superstar, fashion icon, entrepreneur and role model to millions, yet despite all that, her impact on the world of pteridophytes has been minimal at best — until now, that is ith the naming" Colin Schultz from '' Smithsonian'' felt that since scientists are also normal people with interests, hobbies, and musical inclinations, "so, sometimes, when a new species of plant or animal is discovered, it gets named after something cool." Gaga herself responded positively to the naming, saying that "since it's an asexual fern, there are 19 species contained within the genus. All sexless, judgeless. How I wish to be."

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q983130 Pteridaceae Lady Gaga Ferns of the Americas Fern genera