Dinosaur emojis

Lore & Background

Following online interest, multiple proposals for a dinosaur emoji were submitted to the Unicode Consortium in 2016, differing in number, style, and species. The proposals noted high expected usage and multiple construable meanings. The emojis were released in Unicode 10.0 on 20 June 2017, featuring a full-body green T-Rex on hind legs and a blue, grey, or green sauropod on all four legs.

Individual vendors designed the emojis with significant aesthetic differences. The T-Rex emoji shows the most variation: Apple and Google depict it green; Samsung red or orange; Twitter (X) and Microsoft brown or tan; Facebook shows only the head. The sauropod emoji varies anatomically: Apple's design resembles a Brachiosaurus, while others, like WhatsApp's, resemble a diplodocid.

Paleontologists criticized the anatomical accuracy, particularly Apple's T-Rex with upright posture and dragging tail, considered obsolete since the 1970s. Lack of feathers was also criticized. The sauropod emoji was praised for using the taxonomically inclusive term 'sauropod' rather than 'Brontosaurus.' The Unicode Consortium was criticized for lack of paleontologist involvement; Apple faced similar criticism for lacking 'basic anatomical accuracy.'

Reader's Guide

The dinosaur emojis have developed several metaphorical meanings in internet culture. They are frequently used to describe someone or something as 'old-fashioned,' 'out-of-touch,' or 'obsolete,' stemming from the idiom of calling a person a 'dinosaur.' The T-Rex emoji is also used to represent hunger or 'rawr,' a playful roar from early 2000s internet slang.

Socially and politically, the emojis have been involved in a 'tug-of-war' for symbolic meaning. Many transgender individuals adopted the blue sauropod as a symbol of pride, with paleontologist Riley Black noting that dinosaurs resonate with themes of 'transformation through time.' Conversely, trans-exclusionary radical feminist groups have used the emojis, leading to online disputes over the emoji's 'ownership,' documented by the Endless Thread podcast in 2022.

The emojis see significant usage spikes during major franchise media releases like Jurassic Park films. Sports teams with dinosaur mascots, notably the Toronto Raptors, frequently use the T-Rex emoji in social media communications. An original 2016 proposal suggested the emoji could represent large size, obsolescence, or extinction.

Did You Know?

• The dinosaur emojis were originally added in Unicode 10.0 in June 2017.
• Facebook's T-Rex emoji is unique for showing only the head of the dinosaur rather than a full-body depiction.
• Paleontologist Riley Black noted that the Tyrannosaurus emoji originally featured upright posturing and dragging tails, considered scientifically obsolete since the 1970s.
• The sauropod emoji was praised for using the taxonomically inclusive term 'sauropod' rather than 'Brontosaurus,' avoiding a historical naming controversy.