Alasemenia, the earliest ovule with three wings and without cupule

Reviewer #1 (Public Review):

Summary:

Winged seeds or ovules from the Devonian are crucial to understanding the origin and early evolutionary history of wind dispersal strategy. Based on exceptionally well-preserved fossil specimens, the present manuscript documented a new fossil plant taxon (new genus and new species) from the Famennian Series of Upper Devonian in eastern China and demonstrated that three-winged seeds are more adapted to wind dispersal than one-, two- and four-winged seeds by using mathematical analysis.

Strengths:

The manuscript is well organised and well presented, with superb illustrations. The methods used in the manuscript are appropriate.

Weaknesses:

I would only like to suggest moving the "Mathematical analysis of wind dispersal of ovules with 1-4 wings" section from the supplementary information to the main text, leaving the supplementary figures as supplementary materials.

Reviewer #2 (Public Review):

Summary:

This manuscript described the second earliest known winged ovule without a capule in the Famennian of Late Devonian. Using Mathematical analysis, the authors suggest that the integuments of the earliest ovules without a cupule, as in the new taxon and Guazia, evolved functions in wind dispersal.

Strengths:

The new ovule taxon's morphological part is convincing. It provides additional evidence for the earliest winged ovules, and the mathematical analysis helps to understand their function.

Weaknesses:

The discussion should be enhanced to clarify the significance of this finding. What is the new advance compared with the Guazia finding? The authors can illustrate the character transformations using a simplified cladogram. The present version of the main text looks flat.