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

Like other large marine megafauna, basking sharks play an important role in shaping ocean ecosystems. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025

Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news Identifying prehistoric Australian megafauna from fossils may have gotten easier thanks to collagen peptide markers. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2025

In the northern reaches of the state, visitors can marvel at massive megafauna as well as fascinating plant species found only in the U.S. South, while the state’s Golden Isles are a top-tier birding destination thanks to their abundance of resident and migratory avian species. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

The extinction of the giant bison around 10,000 years ago is part of a larger pattern of megafauna extinctions that occurred at the end of the Pleistocene. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for megafauna

• avifauna
• hinayana
• macrofauna
• mahayana
• majorana
• marianna
• marihuana
• marijuana
• microfauna
• ana
• bwana
• dhyana