APEX PREDATOR Definition & Meaning

apex predator

[ ey-peks pred-uh-ter, -tawr ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a carnivore that preys on other animals but has no natural predators of its own; the predator at the top of a particular food chain:
Sharks fill an important ecological niche as apex predators, keeping the population of other species from exploding.

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of apex predator¹

First recorded in 1960–65

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Yet back then, any one of these creatures could become prey to the ocean's fiercest apex predator: the megalodon, a giant shark with massive teeth and a body the size of a whale.

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The endangered apex predator’s resurgence is lauded as a conservation success story, but comes with challenges, including an increase in attacks on cattle and other livestock.

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The frozen carcass provides a remarkable snapshot of a bygone apex predator.

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"So these dolphins are top of the food chain and the apex predator so this is a really safe, shallow protected nursery for these mothers to raise their calves and that's why their population is currently thriving so well," she added.

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"Let's remember they are an apex predator and probably not one that's best kept for captivity," Ms 51�Թ�en told reporters, adding that there were instances of crocodiles attacking their owners in the region.

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