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PONE-D-20-07068

Chromosomal evolution and phylogenetic considerations in cuckoos (Aves, Cuculiformes, Cuculidae)

PLOS ONE

Dear Dr. de Oliveira,

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Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

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Comments to the Author

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: N/A

Reviewer #2: N/A

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

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Reviewer #1: Dear Dr. de Oliveira,

I have carefully read your manuscript entitled "Chromosomal evolution and phylogenetic considerations in cuckoos (Aves, Cuculiformes, Cuculidae)". The manuscript contains new important information on karyotype structure and chromosomal evolution of two cuckoo species, Guira guira and Piaya cayana, using routine staining and whole chromosome painting with probes derived from two other bird species, and therefore this paper could be published in PLOS ONE. However, I believe that a few points should be addressed in the manuscript. First, I think that a brief characterization of the standard avian/chicken karyotype would be useful for those who are not closely familiar with cytogenetics of birds (see line 189). Second, you state that turacos have first three chromosome pairs of similar size, but these chromosomes are "larger" in the cuckoos of Groups 1 and 2 (see lines 232-233); if you in fact mean that the corresponding chromosomes of cuckoos are unequal in size, please rephrase the sentence. Third, if we assume that Piaya occupies the basal position on the phylogenetic tree due to certain morphological evidence, I do not think that morphological/karyotypic similarity of two other genera mentioned by you means close relationships between these groups, just because their characters may well represent respective symplesiomorphies (see lines 261-269). Moreover, I suggest that authors' names (and probably also years of first publication) are to be added to each species name mentioned both in the abstract and the main text for the first time. I also believe that the four main species names used in the text (i.e., Guira guira, Piaya cayana, Gallus gallus and Leucopternis albicollis) should be spelled out only if mentioned for the first time, and respectively cited as G. guira, P. cayana, G. gallus and L. albicollis in other parts of the text. Unnecessary text highlighting (lines 14 to 16) must be removed as well. Please change "round", "5", "cuckoos species" and "female" to "rounds", "5B", "cuckoo species" and "male" respectively (lines 97, 164, 195 and 406). Furthermore, please keep all your references in the reference list to the style recommended by PLOS, including removal of an unnecessary ISSN number (line 349). In addition, a few species/subspecies names given in the reference list (lines 318, 339 and 390) should be italicized.

Yours sincerely,

Reviewer #2: The presented manuscript aims to reconstruct the chromosome diversification in Cuculiformes using FISH with whole-chromosome probes in order to resolve the evolutionary processes in this taxon. This study is of importance as phylogenetic relationships of cuckoos is controversial and cytogenetic data are scarce, most of which require revision. The work is done at a good technical level and the manuscript meets the criteria for the publication in PLOS ONE journal.

Minor comments:

1) Lines 201-206. Consider revising the sentence: "In contrast to the extensive fusions observed in Guira guira, in Piaya cayana we observed just the fusion between the homologous chromosome GGA7 with an unidentified segment in PCA7, probably with a microchromosome, since none of the GGA and LAL probes tested – which corresponded to macrochromosome of GGA - hybridized to this segment"

2) Line 406. In the Figure 1 legend "a female Guira guira" should be replaced with "a male Guira guira"

3) Lines 410, 413. In the Figure 3 and 4 legends wcp (whole-chromosome probe) should be decrypted

4) Year is misssed in the reference 13

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Vladimir E. Gokhman

Reviewer #2: No

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Chromosomal evolution and phylogenetic considerations in cuckoos (Aves, Cuculiformes, Cuculidae)

PONE-D-20-07068R1

Dear Dr. Oliveira,

We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it complies with all outstanding technical requirements.

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With kind regards,

Igor V. Sharakhov

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments: