Megafaunal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterizing large animals, especially those from prehistoric eras, that once roamed the Earth
2. Pertaining to the study or existence of substantial vertebrate species that had significant ecological impacts
3. Referring to any large-scale fauna that plays a critical role in their ecosystem, often relating to their extinction or adaptation

Etymology: "Megafaunal" is simply "megafauna" with the adjectival suffix "-al" added. The first part comes from Ancient Greek "mégas", meaning "great" or "large", which passed into English as the prefix "mega-". The second part, "fauna", is a Latin word for the animals of a region, and its connection to a Roman rural deity, Faunus, is a later story rather than a direct source for the word's sense. The suffix "-al" traces back through Latin "-ālis", which formed adjectives meaning "pertaining to", and reached English through Old French and Middle English. Attaching it to "megafauna" yields an adjective meaning "relating to megafauna," which in turn refers to the large animals of a given period.

Synonyms: large animals, giant fauna