PONE-D-22-05374The exceptionally high diversity of small carnivorans from the Late Miocene hominid locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany)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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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

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: This is a highly welcomed and thoroughfully presented contribution to the evolution of carnivorans in the Miocene of Europe. I have only few comments to be found in the attached pdf.

My most important suggestion is to include a locality map and a stratigraphic chart, showing the age of the different horizons.

Reviewer #2: The paper "The exceptionally high diversity of small carnivorans from the Late Miocene hominid locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany)" is a really valuable contribution enriching our knowledge on the too-often-neglected portion of the Carnivora diversity, i.e., small-sized taxa, and doing so in a crucial time of differentiation and radiation of modern clades like Late Miocene. In this sense the fauna from Hammerschmiede elevates not only at a regional level, but potentially to the continental/intercontinental one for its abundant and diverse assemblage.

This said, I really enjoyed reading the manuscript, the descriptions, and the arguments supporting each instance made by the author. I find they made a valuable, thoroughly thought, and neat piece of work. I agree with the author in the erection of the new species of Circamustela, although I would like the author to consider one thing: if the author wish to refer the species to “the Hartmann family” -line 403- I think the correct latin case to be used, if I am not mistaken, should not be singular genitive but rather a plural one, as they refer to a group of people and not to the single owner who granted the permission in the first place. This means, is we latinize the surname “Hartmann” as a second declension name, to change “hartmanni” in “hartmannorum”. Food for thoughts.

I am pleased to see a great number of tables with measures of the described species and of comparison material of the different genera. What is odd is the absolute absence of morphometric analyses throughout the text (with the single exception of Fig. 18). I think this is the major flaw of the work: it seems very few statistics can be done on single specimens, yet I would have expected some analyses of the beautiful cranium of “Martes” sansaniensis (if not to other fossil species at least in comparing to extant Martes like a PCA on cranial and associated dental variable, just a suggestion), or to better describe the variability or rather, the position, of Circamustela hartmanni/orum in respect to other species of the genus. This observation could actually be made for anyone of the taxa described in the manuscript, which would probably discourage the authors in considering this suggestion, but I deem some analyses should indeed be done (maybe grouping family members in single scatterplot graph? I believe a solution can be found).

Considering the biochronological relevance of the species recovered in Hammerschmiede I would add a figure showing the chronology of the discussed species (as well as other relevant taxa of the same genera) to visually show the relevance of the finding here reported.

The “Ecomorphology”section of the discussion is a bit speculative, which is not a problem per se but it could be improved reducing the interpretations and planning a quantitative comparison between other Miocene small mammal associations of Europe.

Lastly, although I am not a Native English Speaker, I nevertheless found the English level to be appropriate and well-structured, and effective, I would say, in conveying the message.

In conclusion I deem the manuscript is almost ready for publication (this is why i would say minor revision needed) and, if the author care to take into consideration some of my suggestions, I think it will make a really valuable contribution to Miocene carnivorans in Europe.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Michael Morlo

Reviewer #2: No

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Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: PONE-D-22-05374_MM.pdf

The exceptionally high diversity of small carnivorans from the Late Miocene hominid locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany)

PONE-D-22-05374R1

Dear Dr. Kargopoulos,

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Giorgio Carnevale, Ph.D

Academic Editor

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