Abstract
The present study illustrates for the first time the ventral aspect and the hypostome of <i>Platypeltoides cuervoae</i> (Corbacho and López-Soriano, 2012) of the Upper part of the Lower Fezouata Formation (Lower Ordovician: Tremadocian) of the Guelmim area; Western Anti-Atlas, Morocco. Computed tomography of the holotype and paratype kept at the Natural History Museum in London (United Kingdom) for the conduct of a study on computed tomography and radiography as expert legal evidence in paleontology has revealed the hypotheses of the two previously cited specimens (Corbacho and López-Soriano, 2012) and another disarticulated specimen below, which was discovered during the computed tomography process. All CT Scanning images in this article have been obtained from a CT Scanned at the Natural History Museum, London, UK. By describing the ventral aspect and the hypostomes of the specimens studied in this article, any possible uncertainty and affiliation to Nileidae is stated and dissipated as suggested by Gutiérrez Marco, Sá, García Bellido and Chacaltana as belonging to Asaphidae, incorrectly suggesting that It is the species: <i>Asaphellus stubssi</i> Fortey, 2009. Consequently, membership in the Nileidae family is reaffirmed and Asaphidae is ruled out. The genus <i>Platypeltoides</i> is also reaffirmed and <i>Asaphellus</i> is discarded. Being the correct species <i>Platypeltoides cuervoae</i> (Corbacho & López-Soriano, 2012).
Highlights
Morocco has been a very important source of new trilobite species
The Fezouata Formation has provided large specimens often presented as monospecific assemblages
In this work we describe the ventral aspect and the hypostome of the species Platypeltoides cuervoae (Corbacho & LópezSoriano, 2012) that was found in 2008, and subsequently described 4 years later due to the scarcity of the material and the fact that most of the specimens have been reconstructed for the fossil market; see [14,15,16]
Summary
Morocco has been a very important source of new trilobite species. In particular, the Fezouata Formation has provided large specimens often presented as monospecific assemblages. Since 2007, we have been studying new outcrops of trilobites and taxa of the Ordovician of Morocco, first with the research assistance projects of FOSILART (Spain) and later with those of the Association of Experts and Appraisers of Catalonia (Spain). With the application of the CT Scanning technique we have been able to access the ventral features and hypostomes of the holotype and paratype and of a third disarticulated specimen that has appeared below them. These specimens are preserved in the NHM in London (UK) under the annotations NHMUK-it28944 for the holotype and NHMUK-it28945 for the paratype
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