What Is the Most Successful Species on Earth? From NHPR: Outside/In

Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant

This week we're sharing a riveting episode from NHPR's show, Outside/In. Take a listen and let us know what you think!

A debate about evolutionary “success.” Who should wear the crown of GSOAT (greatest species of all time), and are humans even in the running?

Humans have had an impressive run thus far; we’ve explored most of the planet (the parts that aren’t underwater anyway), landed on the moon, created art and music, and made some pretty entertaining Tik-Toks.

But we’ve survived on the planet for just a fraction of the time horseshoe crabs and alligators have. And we’re vastly outnumbered by many species of bacteria and insects.

So who is the most successful species on Earth? And how do you measure that, anyway? From longevity to happiness, to sheer numbers, we put a handful of different organisms under the microscope in hopes of better understanding what exactly it means to succeed at life on a collective and individual scale.

Featuring: Stephen Giovannoni, Rashidah Farid, and Steward Pickett