Diversity and Distribution of the Genus Platypeltoides (Nileidae) in Morocco

Recently two new species of the genus Platypeltoides (Nileidae, Trilobita) from the Anti-Atlas region of Morocco have been described. Because new material is still appearing in this area, we have considered to review this subject. The aim of this article is to describe all the species of the genus Platypeltoides appeared in the Lower Fezouata Formation (Tremadocian, Lower Ordovician) and distributed in three different locations of the Moroccan Anti-Atlas. Several specimens of this genus and kept in the Museo Geológico del Seminario (Barcelona, Spain), Museo Geominero (Madrid, Spain) and the Natural History Museum (London, UK) are here described and discussed. In this paper, all known species of the Platypeltoides genus of Morocco are presented. All them appear in the Zagora region and in the Guelmim area. Three species have already been described: P. magrebiensis?, P. hammondi and P. carmenae. We left two more in open nomenclature, Platypeltoides aff. carmenae and Platypeltoides sp. Finally, another species changes its genus: Asaphellus cuervoae = Platypeltoides cuervoae. Indeed, four species (but possibly two more) of the genus Platypeltoides are present in the Lower Ordovician of Morocco