The Tiktaalik meme centers on the prehistoric 'fishapod' Tiktaalik roseae, a transitional species discovered in 2004 that represents the move from water to land. In internet culture, the meme typically portrays the Tiktaalik as the catalyst for all human suffering, suggesting that if it hadn't crawled out of the ocean, we wouldn't have to deal with modern burdens like jobs, taxes, or existential dread. Popular variations include 'bonking' the fish with a stick to stop it from evolving or adding captions expressing the fish's naive optimism about its new life on land. It has become a staple in nihilistic evolution humor, blending paleontology with relatable societal complaints.