Megafauna
/ˌmɛɡəˈfɔːnə/noun
The large animals of a region, especially the giant species of a past geological age.
Did you know?The term is a modern scientific coinage built from Greek roots, but it describes the vanished giant animals that still haunt our imagination like a prehistoric spell.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mégas
“great, large”
Ancient Latin
Latin
fauna
“the animal life of a region; from Faunus, a rustic deity associated with animals and wild places”
Late 19th Century
English
megafauna
“a term coined in scientific usage for very large animals”
Modern English
English
megafauna
“large animals, especially the giant mammals and reptiles of the prehistoric past”
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