megafauna

[ meg-uh-faw-nuh ]

noun

1. Zoology. large or giant animals, especially of a given area. Because megafauna tend to have long lives and slow population growth and recovery rates, many such species, as elephants and whales, are particularly vulnerable to overexploitation by humans.
2. Ecology. animals of a given area that can be seen with the unaided eye.
3. Classical Mythology. large or giant mythical creatures, often resembling a familiar animal, as a hellhound, or a composite of different animals, as a griffin.

megafauna

/ ˈmɛɡəˌfɔːnə /

noun

1. the component of the fauna of a region or period that comprises the larger terrestrial animals

megafauna

/ mĕg′ə-fô′nə /

1. Large or relatively large animals of a particular place or time period. Saber-toothed tigers and mastodons belong to the extinct megafauna of the Oligocene and Pleistocene Epochs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of megafauna¹

First recorded in 1925–30; mega- + fauna

Example Sentences

A path leads us alongside a dramatic cliff face, and to one side I take in life-size models of Mylodon, as well as illustrations of other ancient megafauna which roamed the area, such as Macrauchenia, which Darwin regarded as a “prehistoric llama” and saber-toothed tigers.

From Salon

Hoping to learn more about Darwin’s ancient megafauna, I headed to a storehouse linked to Uruguay’s National Museum of Natural History.

From Salon

Upstairs, walking through an exhibit dealing with ancient megafauna, I was non-plussed by the sheer scale of a Megatherium skeleton — indeed, the creature weighed up to four tons and grew to the size of an elephant while consuming vast quantities of vegetation daily.

From Salon

Given previous extinctions of megafauna such as Darwin’s giant sloth, and humanity’s inability to protect current day wildlife, it’s not clear whether valuable lessons have been learned.

From Salon

Regardless of the cause for their return, they’re growing increasingly worried that as the numbers of these charismatic megafauna grow, so too does their risk of injury and death in these high-traffic waters.

From Los Angeles Times