Fungi and flatworms: Scientists want more diverse nature emojis

Emojis on a smartphone screen in Washington, DC. An analysis published on Dec 11, 2023 in the journal iScience found that while animals are well represented by the current emoji catalog, plants, fungi, and microorganisms get short shrift. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Too many cats, not enough crustaceans: The current emoji catalogue doesn’t accurately represent the breadth of biodiversity seen in nature – and that hurts conservation efforts, according to scientists.

An analysis published Dec 11 in the journal iScience found that while animals are well represented by the current emoji catalogue, plants, fungi, and microorganisms get short shrift.