AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The Philosoraptor meme features an image macro of a Velociraptor, depicted as a deep thinker engaged in philosophical pondering. The dinosaur is typically shown in a contemplative pose, visually synthesizing the elements of a philosopher with the fierce appearance of a Velociraptor. This duality plays into the meme's humor, presenting complex questions or paradoxical statements in a juxtaposition with the prehistoric creature's image.

OriginWho did it first?

The Philosoraptor meme began with an original illustration created by Sam Smith, initially copyrighted for use on a T-shirt sold by the online retailer Lonely Dinosaur in 2008. The design was first listed on Lonely Dinosaur. The concept of the Philosoraptor, a blend of a philosopher and a Velociraptor, was conceived by Smith during early summer 2008, with the final artwork and production of the t-shirts occurring towards the end of that summer. Prior to this merchandised version, the earliest known reference to a Philosoraptor type creature appeared on March 30th, 2007, through a YTMND page showcasing a photoshopped Velociraptor holding Plato’s works. Furthermore, on February 18th, 2009, the first known usage of this illustration in a typical meme format was documented on 4chan's /b/ board. The term "Philosoraptor", well-suited for the design due to its phonetic similarity to both 'philosopher' and 'Velociraptor', was independently conceived and has appeared across the web, including on a politics-religion blog named Philosoraptor active since 2003 and also used by various online users.^[1]

Origin: 2008