megafauna

noun

mega·​fau·​na ˈme-gə-ˌfȯ-nə How to pronounce megafauna (audio)
-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 adjective

Examples of megafauna in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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That honor goes to the megafauna that roamed the Americas until about 12,500 years ago. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025 The late-Quaternary megafauna extinctions: Patterns, causes, ecological consequences and implications for ecosystem management in the Anthropocene Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 18 Feb. 2025 If humans were to stop these actions, and if megafauna don’t become the predominant species again, forests could theoretically darken again and set the stage for larger seeds to make a reappearance. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 18 Feb. 2025 Visitors to Los Llanos can marvel at fascinating megafauna like the giant anteater, giant river otter and green anaconda, but perhaps the most impressive natural feature of the region is its incredible avian diversity. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for megafauna

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of megafauna was in 1927

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Cite this Entry

“Megafauna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/megafauna. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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