The comment by Sánchez-Tójar et al. (2020, Ecol Lett) questioned the methodology, transparency, and conclusion of our study (Yin et al. 2019, Ecol Lett, 22, 1976). The comment has overlooked important evolutionary assumptions in their reanalysis, and the issues raised were in fact dealt with through the peer-review process. Far from being biased, the key conclusion of our meta-analysis still stands; transgenerational effects are largely adaptive.