faunal

Faunal is an adjective and, less commonly, a noun used in biology and related fields to denote things pertaining to animals or to animal life in a given place or time. The term derives from Latin fauna, referring to the animal life of a region. In ecology and biogeography, faunal descriptions identify the animal communities that characterize a geographic area, ecosystem, or habitat. Examples include the faunal composition of a forest, desert, or island, and regional faunal realms such as the Mammalia-dominated faunal assemblages of certain biogeographic zones. Faunal surveys or inventories catalog species presence and abundance to support conservation planning, ecological research, and environmental assessment.

In archaeology and paleontology, faunal remains—bones, teeth, shells, and trace elements—are analyzed to infer past diets, hunting practices, domestication, and ecological conditions. The study of faunal assemblages contributes to interpretations of site function and human–animal interactions, as well as to reconstructing past environments. In geology and paleontology, faunal succession or faunal turnover describes changes in species composition through time, aiding relative dating and climate reconstruction.

The term contrasts with floral, which relates to plants. The adjectives faunal and faunistic are common, while fauna can be used collectively to refer to animal life in a region, or to denote a group of animal species as a whole.