Pokémon: How the 1996 Game Inspired Scientists

In 1996, the Pokémon game was released by Satoshi Tajiri via Nintendo Game Boy. Three decades later, Pokémon has influenced scientific paths in ecology, paleontology, and evolutionary biology.

Spencer Monckton, a researcher at the University of Guelph, compared collecting Pokémon to entomology. During his research in Chile in 2013, Monckton named a new species of bee, Chilicola charizard, after the Pokémon of the same name.

The Field Museum presents an exhibition linking Pokémon characters to fossils. Aerodactyl refers to pterosaurs, and Archeops draws inspiration from Archaeopteryx.

A 2002 study showed that children recognized more Pokémon than local wildlife species, leading to the creation of Phylo, a game for environmental education.