GabyScientists say the current emoji set doesn’t do a good job of representing Earth’s biodiversity. Biologists argue the nature emojis focus on a narrow slice of plants and animals. Italian researchers at the Council for Nature Research and the University of Milan say the emoji list has plenty of vertebrates but not enough arthropods — the planet’s most abundant animals. They want water bears (tardigrades), starfish, flatworms, and other overlooked creatures added to the set. The researchers say widening the emoji roster could get more people involved in nature conservation, according to Cosmos. Because emojis act like a universal visual language, adding these species could make it easier to engage people on major global problems.
What Researchers Discovered
In a paper in the journal iScience, the Italian team laid out their analysis. They analyzed Emojipedia data, focusing on the site’s section dedicated to living nature. That section listed 214 emojis: 92 animals, 16 plants, one fungus, and one microorganism. Some species appear multiple times — especially pets (dogs, cats, rabbits) and farm animals (pigs, cows, sheep, chickens). Plants, fungi, and microorganisms are underrepresented in the emoji set. Lead author Mattia Falaschi and co-author Stefano Mammola say molds, mosses, and lichens would be good additions. They note that while the paper was under review, a porcini mushroom (Boletus edulis) emoji was added. Seventy-six percent of animal emojis depict vertebrates; arthropods make up only 16 percent, mollusks 4 percent, cnidarians (corals, jellyfish, and sea anemones) 2 percent, and annelids 1 percent. Flatworms and nematodes are entirely missing from the emoji lineup.
The researchers want a more diverse, inclusive set of emojis that better reflects life on Earth. They say adding species could improve how people communicate about biodiversity — a crucial need during the climate crisis. “Conservation of biodiversity can only progress with broad societal support. Our call for expanding the emoji collection aims to highlight underrepresented groups that may be relevant for their conservation,” said Mattia Falaschi.
