A 34-million-year-old giant rodent has been discovered: It weighed 30 kilograms.

Scientists have identified a new species of giant rodent from fossils unearthed in Thailand, estimated to have lived roughly 34 million years ago and to have weighed close to 30 kilograms. The creature was about twice the size of known rodents from its era, according to the researchers. The discovery could revise current understanding of the evolutionary history of giant rodents. It matters because it extends the known size range of early rodents and raises questions about what drove their gigantism. What to watch next: further fossil analysis and comparisons with other Southeast Asian sites to pin down the species' lineage and diet.