Birbalomys is an extinct genus of rodent

Rodent

Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....

 from Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

.

The 30 centimetres (11.8 in) long creature has been thought to have been a member of the extant gundi

Gundi

Gundis are a group of small, stocky rodents found in Africa. They live in rocky deserts across the northern parts of the continent. The family comprises 4 living genera and 5 species , as well as numerous extinct genera and species...

 family, but reconstructions of its physical appearance are highly speculative. Some paleontologists

Paleontology

Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...

consider Birbalomys to be the most primitive true rodent, related to the ancestors of all members of the order Rodentia.