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
Examples of megafauna in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s largely the case today, but 7,000 years ago the vast desert was an altogether different place: a verdant world of trees and rivers and home to megafauna such as hippos and elephants.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
After all, some of the world’s grandest forests (like the Amazon) have survived for millennia after the disappearance of mammoth-sized megafauna.
—Nitin Sekar, ArsTechnica, 5 Apr. 2025
However, unlike Australia’s marsupial megafauna, such as Diprotodon and the short-faced kangaroo, which vanished due to shifting climates and ecological pressures, there was no direct evidence linking the mountain pygmy possum to the same extinction timeline or causes.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
These megafauna ate prehistoric avocados whole, spreading the pits—and, as a consequence, the fruits—across the region.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Mar. 2025
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Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
After all, some of the world’s grandest forests (like the Amazon) have survived for millennia after the disappearance of mammoth-sized megafauna.
—Nitin Sekar, ArsTechnica, 5 Apr. 2025
However, unlike Australia’s marsupial megafauna, such as Diprotodon and the short-faced kangaroo, which vanished due to shifting climates and ecological pressures, there was no direct evidence linking the mountain pygmy possum to the same extinction timeline or causes.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
These megafauna ate prehistoric avocados whole, spreading the pits—and, as a consequence, the fruits—across the region.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for megafauna
Cite this Entry
“Megafauna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/megafauna. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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