Images of an "extinct" animal

The Laotian rock rat, presumed long extinct, has been photographed in its homeland. A single specimen of the squirrel-sized animal was trapped, photographed, and released.
The animal known locally as kha-nyou and scientifically as Laonastes aenigmamus was originally discovered when carcasses were spotted for sale in a meat market. The interesting thing about the critter, scientifically, is that it comes from a lineage whose known fossil record stops 11 million years ago. The term "living fossil" may not apply precisely, as it's not clear how far back this particular species goes, but scientists were thrilled when analysis of the new species noted strong similarities, especially in the skull, jaws, and teeth (the most critical points in mammal identification) proved almost identical to a fossil from China.

Thanks to Kris Winkler and Chris Orrick for independently pointing me to this article.