The Evolution of Primate Litter Size

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Please see comments in the attached document.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Manuscript ID: humans-3076513

The evolution of primate litter size

Authors: Jack H McBride, Tesla A Monson

 

Review

 

The litter size of primates exhibits inter-species variation, and has not been adequately contextualized within the broader mammalian phylogeny. The authors employed phylogenetic analyses and ancestral state reconstructions to test several hypotheses based on data pertaining litter size, gestation length, adult and neonatal brain and body mass, and maximum longevity of a large sample of boreoeutherians, including 155 primate species. Two hypotheses stated, that:

H1: Primate litter size is significantly associated with other life history and body size traits;

H2: The primate last common ancestor had a litter size greater than 1.

 

The manuscript is well-written and based on comprehensive data, with the additional benefit that these data are presented in an open format. The conclusions are based on results, and the analyses are sound. However, the paper must adhere to the journal’s template before acceptance. Please find my comments below.

 

Abstract

Lines 15 and 16: please use “p <”

 

Introduction

Line 28: it seems you are referring to genera, not species

Line 31: 1.1–1.5%, not 1.1 - 1.5%; check the rest and use en-dash for ranges

 

Material and Methods

Major comment – data sources must be listed and also presented in References

 

Line 89: please refer to Supplemental materials in form Table S1, Figure S1, etc. List of Supplemental materials must be given in the Back material

Line 98 and 99: refer to the Table S1

Line 110: number sub-chapters and use correct style

Lines 115-117: taxonomic reference must be cited

Line 146: number sub-chapters and use correct style

 

Results

Major comment: Tables must be cited consecutively, now Table 3 is not cited at all.

 

Line 160: Please refer to the supplementary materials, which are provided in the form of tables (Table S1), figures (Figure S1), and so forth. The list of these supplementary materials must be included in the back matter.

Figure 1: The MDPI style guide recommends the use of the symbols (a), (b) for the numbering of parts of a figure. For further information, please refer to the provided template.

Lines 206, 236: number sub-chapters and use correct style

 

Discussion

Lines 278, 315: number sub-chapters and use correct style

Lines 267, 267: please refer all species in the form “Western tarsier (Tarsius bancanus) and Western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)” on the first use; check the text.

Line 297: give common names for the species on the first use, like “Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta)”, which later might be referred as T. syrichta.

 

Back matter

Please give Back matter in the form shown in Template

Do not mention zip file (it was not included into Supplementary materials)

Data availability: you say you present data as supplements

Conflicts of interest: see Template about the role of funders

 

References

Please present as required, see Template

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf