A palaeontological survey in the Old Crow Basin has unearthed the probable remains of a 125,000-year-old beaver dam.

It's the first ever fossilized artifact of its kind, Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor and Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation Chief Joe Linklater announced this morning.

It's possible the find represents the oldest beaver-cut wood in the world, they said.

'The work, supported by land claims funding, was conducted on Vuntut Gwitchin settlement land and was part of a larger survey of ancient mammal fossils along the Porcupine and Old Crow Rivers,' Taylor said.

The survey was conducted by Paul Matheus, a Yukon government palaeontologist, Natalia Rybczynski, an expert on fossil beavers at the Canadian Museum of Nature, and Keith Rispin, a student assistant from Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation.

'Our palaeontological resources provide a wealth of information about past times,' Linklater said.

'It is a positive experience for everyone to be part of this interesting research program in the north Yukon. We look forward to continue working with Dr. Matheus to discover more about these fascinating finds.'

It appears that many of the sticks in the beaver dam were cut by beavers.

It was unclear to the survey team, however, if any were cut by the extinct giant beaver that lived 90,000 years ago. Palaeontologists are studying the wood to make that determination.

'Giant beavers were not ancestors of modern beavers,' Matheus said. 'It is still uncertain to what extent they actually cut and processed wood.

'The best leads for future research into this question lie in the Yukon's fossil record, particularly the Old Crow region.'

At a separate site on the Porcupine River downstream from Old Crow, the team also unearthed additional beaver-cut sticks in sediment which might date back as far as three million to five million years.

'Once the associated volcanic ash at the site is dated,' Matheus said, 'we'll be better able to determine the age of the wood, but it could be as old as or older than the beaver pond site on Ellesmere Island.'

Future work at both sites will include site visits collecting fossils, educational programs, such as student research, and public presentations by palaeontologists and other collaborating scientists.

'The beaver is Canada's national symbol,' Taylor said. 'This is a wonderful discovery for the Yukon and for all Canadians.'