megafauna

noun

mega·​fau·​na ˈme-gə-ˌfȯ-nə 

-ˌfä-

1

: animals (such as bears, bison, or mammoths) of particularly large size

2

: fauna consisting of individuals large enough to be visible to the naked eye

megafaunal

ˈme-gə-ˌfȯ-nᵊl 

-ˌfä-

adjective

Examples of megafauna in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And because the fossil record shows the widespread decline of American megafauna starting around the same time — with North America losing 70% of its large mammals, and South America losing more than 80% — many researchers surmised that humans’ arrival led to mass extinctions. —Christina Larson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024

And because the fossil record shows the widespread decline of American megafauna starting around the same time - with North America losing 70% of its large mammals, and South America losing more than 80% - many researchers surmised that humans' arrival led to mass extinctions. —CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024

Now, in a study published last week in the journal Science Advances, a team of researchers from the U.S. and Canada presents new, direct evidence that suggests Clovis humans took down megafauna. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024

Meanwhile, South American megafauna moved northward, including giant ground sloths and glyptodonts (enormous armadillos). —Martin Broen, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1