When you think of animals that have impacted history, your first thought may be of dogs, cows, pigs, or horses. Yet another animal has played an oversized role in history, and it was never domesticated: beavers.

Beavers have been among the most important animals in history because of the value of their pelts and their impact on the landscape.

Beaver pelts were regarded as a durable, luxurious material and became the center of one of the most important economic industries in history: the fur trade, and they even started a war.