group basal to the large Entelegynae clade: Nevertheless, the authors preferred to accept the earlier conclusion based on multiple lines of evidence that the Palpimanoidea are a monophyletic group. Although the morphological data suggests that the two families with "necks" in the prosoma, Archaeidae and Mecysmaucheniidae, are sisters, molecular data suggests otherwise. It is now believed that the elongated and elevated "neck" has evolved independently in these two families, as well as in the more distantly related Malkaridae (Pararchaeidae). Distribution The Palpimanoidea are mainly found in the Southern Hemisphere. Archaeidae, Huttoniidae and Mecysmaucheniidae have a Gondwanan distribution, with species native to South America, South Africa, Madagascar, Australia and New Zealand. The Stenochilidae are found in South-east Asia. Only the Palpimanidae cross into the Northern Hemisphere, with a few species reaching Central Asia and China. Palpimanoids were once more widely distributed; thus 12 fossil genera of Archaeidae have been found in the Northern Hemisphere. References Araneomorphae Arachnid superfamilies