How did beavers bail out man in the Stone Age?

At Aarhus University (Denmark), zoologists wondered what role beavers played dwelling near humans in ancient times.

Excavations have revealed that these animals were important as a source of meat food and hides, and that the teeth and bones of these rodents were hardly substitutes for the tools used to work wood.

In addition, ancient man also benefited from the ecosystems created by beavers. The dams built by the animals increased the number of fish, waterfowl and vegetation. Wild boars and other fauna were drawn to these landscapes.

According to researcher Nathalie Brusgaard, beavers have made ecosystems more dynamic, increasing biodiversity, breeding wild pigs, otters, and the abundance of carp, perch and pike in water bodies.