An apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain, without natural predators of its own. They are usually defined in terms of trophic dynamics, meaning that they occupy the highest trophic levels. Here are some key points about apex predators:

• They are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators of their own.
• They occupy the highest trophic levels in a food chain.
• They can be important in nature conservation because they have powerful effects on other predators, herbivores, and plants.
• They can be keystone species, meaning that they have a disproportionately large effect on the biological communities in which they live.
• They can control prey numbers and limit smaller predators, and the removal of an apex predator can have knock-on effects on the entire ecosystem.

Examples of apex predators include grizzly bears, whale sharks, polar bears, saltwater crocodiles, Komodo dragons, tigers, and lions. Humans are also considered apex predators.