The species was first described in a 2005 article by Paulina Jenkins and coauthors, who considered the animal to be so distinct from all living rodents, they placed it in a new family, Laonastidae.

They suggested the rat belongs to the ancient fossil family Diatomyidae, which was thought to have been extinct for 11 million years,[3] since the late Miocene.

Upon their initial discovery, Jenkins and coauthors (2005) considered the Laotian rock rat to represent a completely new family.

The discovery of the Laotian rock rat means an 11 million-year gap exists in the fossil record where no diatomyids have been found.

[6] The analysis of mtDNA 12S rRNA and cytochrome b sequence by Jenkins et al. allied Laonastes with African hystricognath rodents, namely the blesmols and the dassie rat.

Huchon et al. conducted a large-scale molecular phylogeny of rodents, including representatives of all major rodent taxonomic groups, based on 5.5 kb of sequence data from four nuclear and two mitochondrial genes, and a short, interspersed element, insertion analysis including 11 informative loci.

Their molecular data place Laonastes robustly as a sister clade of Ctenodactylidae, and support an ancient divergence during the Lutetian (Early/Middle Eocene, ~44 mya).

[citation needed] Return trips to Laos by the Wildlife Conservation Society researchers uncovered several other specimens.

On June 13, 2006, David Redfield, a professor emeritus of Florida State University, and Thai wildlife biologist Uthai Treesucon announced they had captured, photographed, and videotaped a live specimen of the species in the village of Doy in Laos.

[11] It is also found directly across the border in Hin Namno National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Laos.

Nguyen et al.[11] suggested that the Quảng Bình and Phou Hin Poun populations may be distinct and genetically isolated from each other.

Nicolas et al. found 8 major geographical clades and 8 to 16 evolutionary significant units among Laotian rock rat populations in Laos, and suggested that Laonastes may in fact consist of various undescribed cryptic species.