A family of birds comprising the Asian barbets, the Megalaimidae were once clubbed with all barbets in the family Capitonidae but the Old World species have been found to be distinctive and are considered, along with the Lybiidae and Ramphastidae, as sister groups. There are around 26 species living in the forests of the Indo-Malayan region from Tibet to Indonesia. The diversity is concentrated around the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra; it is therefore probable that the family originated there or thereabouts.