Barranca variabilis sp. nov.—A New Terrestrial Alga of the Genus Barranca (Chaetophorales, Chlorophyta) from the Baikal Region (Russia)

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

 

Overall, this is a comprehensive morphological, fine structural and molecular genetic account of a proposed new species (Barranca variabilis) isolated from a terrestrial environment. The light microscopic images are well prepared and the fine structure evidence is sufficiently preserved to support the authors’ interpretations. The molecular genetic evidence based on the cladistics provides variable evidence in support of a new species, but the combined evidence (especially the ITS2 secondary structure) and distinguishing morphological evidence augments the cladistics to provide arguably sound evidence for designation of a new species.

There are a few recommendations for improved usage of the English text.

 

The plural of thallus in English usage is thalli not thalloms.

 

Suggested changes in English

Introduction

“The characteristic of the cell ultrastructure include the presence of—"

Change

The characteristics of the cell ultrastructure include the presence of—

 

“According to the AlgaeBase, the order included---"

Change

According to the AlgaeBase, the order includes---

 

“A number of species found in terrestrial—”

Change

A number of species are found in terrestrial—

 

“Some of chaetophoralean algae are known as a widespread--”

Change

Some of chaetophoralean algae are known to be widespread—

 

“large group of primary producers, providing a significantly part of---"

Change

large group of primary producers, providing a significant part of--

 

“There are widespread a typical soils inhabitants—"

Change

They are widespread as typical soil inhabitants---

 

Materials and Methods

2.1

“A limestones and marl formations are common.

Change

Limestone and marl formations are common.

 

“---in size and 2–3 cm in thick.

Change

--- in size and 2–3 cm in thickness.

 

Subsection 2.2

 

This sentence needs to be expanded and changed to be more understandable.

“We used the different regimes of illumination and temperature.”

What regimes of illumination and temperature ? Please be explicit.

 

“---- and a Binder climatic camera (Germany)---"

Change

--- and a Binder climatic chamber (Germany)—

 

3.1

“---two branches, one of which unite two strains of the—”

Change

---- two branches, one of which unites two strains of the---

 

 

Beneath legend to Fig  4

“--- by which the filament attached to the substrate—”

Change

-- by which the filament is attached to the substrate—

 

Figure 7 legend.

“-- Static zoospores without flagella. Q–F. A merging of—

The Q-F is not understandable, do you mean Q-V? You already have a panel in the figure labeled with F in the second row. The final subpanel should be labeled  with a  V.

 

In Diagnosis

“Diagnosis: Barranca variabilis IRK–A 341 is phenotypically differs from—”

Ch8ange

Diagnosis: Barranca variabilis IRK–A 341 is phenotypically different from—

 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your comments. We have made corrections to the text.

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The Egorova et al. manuscript describes a new terrestrial algal species - Barranca variabilis from Irkutsk region (Russia). This manuscript excellently demonstrates the application of the polyphasic approach to modern algal taxonomy. It was written according to the requirements of the Journal. The design is appropriate and the results are interesting and scientifically informed, very well supported with representative photomicrographs and comparisons with closely related species.

Recommendations for changes: in many places along the text the term thalloms is used as a plural form of thallus. In fact, the plural of thallus in English is thalli. The term thalloms most probably is used after direct transliteration of Russian word талломы. The name of genus Microthamnion in the Introduction section is written with different letter size. The name Irkutsk oblast in Materials and Methods should be changed to Irkutsk region. The reference numbers (from 1 to 74) in the References part are duplicated.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your comments.

We have made corrections to the text according to your comments.

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

This article deals with the description of a new species of the green algal genus Barranca from the Baikal Region, Russia. The article is well elaborated but it requires editing of English.

Please, find my minor corrections in the attached file.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

Thank you for your comments. We have made corrections to text according to them. We checked the English again.