The study investigates the patterns of common species across tropical tree communities in Africa, Amazonia, and Southeast Asia. Despite significant differences in biogeographic history, contemporary environment, forest structure, and species composition, the analysis reveals highly consistent patterns of commonness. A modest number of common species ( approximately 2.2% of the total species pool) account for 50% of all individual trees in these regions. This consistency is further supported by extrapolations to the entire tropics, suggesting that just 1,053 species (2.24% of the estimated 47,000 tropical tree species) could account for half of Earth's 800 billion tropical trees. The study also identifies a manageable list of 1,119 candidate hyperdominant species, which are likely to be geographically widespread and relatively well-known, making them suitable for further ecological research. These findings highlight the importance of focusing on a tractable number of common species to better understand tropical forests and their responses to environmental changes.The study investigates the patterns of common species across tropical tree communities in Africa, Amazonia, and Southeast Asia. Despite significant differences in biogeographic history, contemporary environment, forest structure, and species composition, the analysis reveals highly consistent patterns of commonness. A modest number of common species ( approximately 2.2% of the total species pool) account for 50% of all individual trees in these regions. This consistency is further supported by extrapolations to the entire tropics, suggesting that just 1,053 species (2.24% of the estimated 47,000 tropical tree species) could account for half of Earth's 800 billion tropical trees. The study also identifies a manageable list of 1,119 candidate hyperdominant species, which are likely to be geographically widespread and relatively well-known, making them suitable for further ecological research. These findings highlight the importance of focusing on a tractable number of common species to better understand tropical forests and their responses to environmental changes.