# Are human beings the mosy populous mammalisn specied? If so, most populous above insects? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2019, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-human-beings-the-mosy-populous-mammalisn-specied-if-so-most-populous-above-insects/839101 "2019-08-23T13:51:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-human-beings-the-mosy-populous-mammalisn-specied-if-so-most-populous-above-insects/839101/21 "2019-08-23T18:38:58Z")
Never forget: most animals have six legs and wings. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-human-beings-the-mosy-populous-mammalisn-specied-if-so-most-populous-above-insects/839101/22 "2019-08-23T20:04:33Z")
Four legs good. Two legs bad. All mammalisn are created equal, except some are more equal than others. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-human-beings-the-mosy-populous-mammalisn-specied-if-so-most-populous-above-insects/839101/23 "2019-08-23T21:08:03Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > There are the odd \*rattus norvegicus \*around the planet. > They’d outnumber us by one, maybe two orders of magnitude. While AFAIK there is no agreed figure for the number of Norway Rats in the world, it’s not necessarily more than the number of people, and I’ve never seen an estimate anywhere near 100 times as many as people. In microcosm, ‘everybody knows’ there are more rats than people in NY, but the most recent ‘peer reviewed’ study came up with only 1/4 as many rats as people in the City, known as particularly hospitable to rats. > **[Rats in New York City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rats_in_New_York_City)** > > Rats in New York City are widespread, as they are in many densely populated areas. They are considered a cultural symbol of the city. For a long time, the number of rats in New York City was unknown, and a common urban legend declared there were up to five times as many rats as people. However, a 2023 study\[citation needed\] estimates that there are approximately 3 million rats in New York, which is close to a third of New York's human population. > The city's rat population is dominated by the b... ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-human-beings-the-mosy-populous-mammalisn-specied-if-so-most-populous-above-insects/839101/24 "2019-08-23T21:23:02Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > That’s the obvious answer. I thought everyone knew there are more brown rats than humans. I’ve heard that about many specific places, but is this true for the entire world? [This article](https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/how-many-rats-are-there-in-the-world.html) for example says the number is “in the billions,” which would make it the same order of magnitude as the human population. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-human-beings-the-mosy-populous-mammalisn-specied-if-so-most-populous-above-insects/839101/25 "2019-08-23T22:20:22Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Never forget: most animals have six legs and wings. Coincidentally, that is what I call The Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-human-beings-the-mosy-populous-mammalisn-specied-if-so-most-populous-above-insects/839101/26 "2019-08-23T23:55:45Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Chicken aren’t mammals. Ok, but can we agree that they’re insects? ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Call_Me.Tim)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-human-beings-the-mosy-populous-mammalisn-specied-if-so-most-populous-above-insects/839101/27 "2019-08-24T11:39:50Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Never forget: most animals have six legs and wings. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Coincidentally, that is what I call The Beatles. Alas, with the passing of George Harrison the Beatles no longer qualify. In addition, I must note that the Animals had no members in common with Wings. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-human-beings-the-mosy-populous-mammalisn-specied-if-so-most-populous-above-insects/839101.md?page=1)