PCOMPBIOL-D-25-00982

Spatial close-kin mark-recapture methods to estimate dispersal parameters and barrier strength for mosquitoes

PLOS Computational Biology

Dear Dr. Marshall,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS Computational Biology. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS Computational Biology's publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

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We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Tyler Cassidy

Academic Editor

PLOS Computational Biology

Tobias Bollenbach

Section Editor

PLOS Computational Biology

Additional Editor Comments:

This is an interesting and well-presented manuscript. In general, the reviewers appreciated the approach and using CKRM to understand mosquito dispersal. However, both Reviewer 1 and 3 both noted figure 4 as being difficult to interpret (and not colourblind friendly). Further, Reviewer 3's comments on identifiability of model parameters and computational cost are important to address, given the presentation of the pseudo-likelihood in Section 2.3, and Reviewer 1's comments regarding Lines 493-498 and Lines 545-547. Finally, while many of the comments are minor, all three reviewers have made suggestions regarding additional analysis/situations. In the revision, please consider performing the additional analyses that may highlight the limitations or feasibility of the CKRM approach to be used in practice.

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<carina-action-element class="ng-star-inserted">2) Please upload all main figures as separate Figure files in .tif or .eps format. For more information about how to convert and format your figure files please see our guidelines: </carina-action-element><carina-action-element class="ng-star-inserted">https://journals.plos.org/</carina-action-element><carina-action-element class="ng-star-inserted">ploscompbiol</carina-action-element><carina-action-element class="ng-star-inserted">/s/figures</carina-action-element> 

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Authors:

Please note here if the review is uploaded as an attachment.

Reviewer #1: Please see attached pdf

Reviewer #2: Uploaded as an attachment

Reviewer #3: Please see attached.

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Anthony Sévêque

Reviewer #2: No

Reviewer #3: No

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Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: PCOMPBIOL-D-25-00982_Comments.pdf

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Submitted filename: review_pcompbio.pdf

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Submitted filename: comments.docx

Dear %TITLE% Marshall,

We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript 'Spatial close-kin mark-recapture methods to estimate dispersal parameters and barrier strength for mosquitoes' has been provisionally accepted for publication in PLOS Computational Biology.

Before your manuscript can be formally accepted you will need to complete some formatting changes, which you will receive in a follow up email. A member of our team will be in touch with a set of requests.

Please note that your manuscript will not be scheduled for publication until you have made the required changes, so a swift response is appreciated.

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Thank you again for supporting Open Access publishing; we are looking forward to publishing your work in PLOS Computational Biology. 

Best regards,

Tyler Cassidy

Academic Editor

PLOS Computational Biology

Tobias Bollenbach

Section Editor

PLOS Computational Biology

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I appreciate the thoughtful response to the reviewer comments and corresponding additions to the manuscript.