A new Fern Genus named "Gaga"

Duke University scientists have name a new fern genus after the singer Lady Gaga.

There are nineteen species in the genus Gaga including 2 new species and 17 split off from other genera based on DNA sequencing. Among the reasons the name was selected are the costume Lady Gaga wore at the 2010 Grammys which resembled a fern gametophyte and the fact that one of the identifying DNA sequences in one gene was "gaga" for the base sequence guanine-adenine-guanine-adenine.

gaga and fern
Lady Gaga and the fern gametophyte.from http://today.duke.edu/2012/10/gagafern

 here is the link to the youtube video of the 2010 Grammy performance with the costume.

Enjoy the ferns and the music!

Mike

p.s here is my favorite (biology based no less!)  Lady Gaga parody: 

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