Peer review process
Revised: This Reviewed Preprint has been revised by the authors in response to the previous round of peer review; the eLife assessment and the public reviews have been updated where necessary by the editors and peer reviewers.
Read more about eLife’s peer review process.Editors
- Reviewing EditorDavid MarjanovićMuseum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
- Senior EditorSergio RasmannUniversity of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Reviewer #1 (Public review):
Summary:
This is a very well-written paper presenting interesting findings related to the recovery following the end-Permian event in continental settings, from N China. The finding is timely as the topic is actively discussed in the scientific community. The data provides additional insights into the faunal, and partly, floral global recovery following the EPE, adding to the global picture.
Strengths:
The conclusions are supported by an impressive amount of sedimentological and paleontological data (mainly trace fossils) and illustrations.
Reviewer #2 (Public review):
Summary:
The authors made a thorough revision of the manuscript, strengthening the message. They also considered all the comments made by the reviewers and provided appropriate and convincing arguments.
Strengths:
The revised manuscript clarifies all the major points raised by the reviewers, and the way the information is presented (in the text, figures and tables) is clear.
Weaknesses:
The authors provided an appropriate and convincing rebuttal regarding the potential weakness I pointed out in the first review of the manuscript. Therefore, I do not see any major issue in their work.
Reviewer #3 (Public review):
Summary:
The manuscript by Guo and colleagues features the documentation and interpretation of three successions of continental to marginal marine deposits spanning the P/T transition and their respective ichnofaunas. Based on these new data inferences concerning end-Permian mass extinction and Triassic recovery in the tropical realm are discussed.
Strengths:
The manuscript is well written and organized and includes a large amount of new lithological and ichnological data that illuminate ecosystem evolution in a time of large scale transition. The lithological documentations, facies interpretations and ichnotaxonomic assignments look alright (with few exceptions).