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Don't be a jerk!
  
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hi <span style="color:#0645AD"> Qoiuoiuoiu (talk) </span>  23:00, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
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Recent comments: {{Special:RecentChanges|namespace=1}}

Latest revision as of 06:19, 3 January 2026

Welcome to the explain xkcd wiki!
We have an explanation for all 3213 xkcd comics, and only 62 (1.9%) are incomplete. Help us finish them!

 Go to this explanation

Latest comic[edit]

Dinosaurs And Non-Dinosaurs
Staplers are actually in Pseudosuchia, making them more closely related to crocodiles than to dinosaurs.
Title text: Staplers are actually in Pseudosuchia, making them more closely related to crocodiles than to dinosaurs.

Explanation[edit]

Ambox warning blue construction.png This is incomplete:
This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

This comic explores the seeming paradox that certain extinct prehistoric species which are popularly thought of as being "dinosaurs" are, from a strict taxonomic viewpoint, not. It also takes into account the fact that all bird species are descended from dinosaurs and thus - again, from a strict taxonomic viewpoint - are themselves dinosaurs as well. To illustrate this, Randall provides silhouettes of dinosaurs, of entities that are widely thought of as dinosaurs but are not, of entities that are not widely thought of as dinosaurs but are (i.e., birds), and, lastly, of entities that are neither dinosaurs nor thought of as dinosaurs (which is funny because it's so all-encompassing).

Clockwise from upper left in each quadrant of the image:

  • Silhouettes in "seem like dinosaurs / are dinosaurs": stegosaurus, triceratops, tyrannosaurus, velociraptor, diplodocus
  • Silhouettes in "don't seem like dinosaurs / are dinosaurs": penguin, stork or egret, falcon, pigeon, ostrich
  • Silhouettes in "seem like dinosaurs / are not dinosaurs": mosasaur, quetzalcoatlus, dimetrodon, plesiosaur, pteranodon
  • Silhouettes in "don't seem like dinosaurs / are not dinosaurs": squirrel, stapler, bicycle, human, pineapple

The title text is a further joke about taxonomy, predicated on the assumption that staplers are biological organisms (which they are not)[citation needed], and can thus be sorted into taxa. Pseudosuchia is in fact the clade that encompasses all crocodilians, and staplers bear a certain resemblance to the open jaw of a crocodilian.

Transcript[edit]

Ambox warning green construction.png This is one of 44 incomplete transcripts:
Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!
[A 2x2 chart containing various animals and objects.]
  • Left column: Are dinosaurs
  • Right column: Are not dinosaurs
  • Upper row: Seem like dinosaurs
  • Lower row: Don't seem like dinosaurs
[Top left (seem like dinosaurs, are dinosaurs):]
[Top right (seem like dinosaurs, are not dinosaurs):]
[Bottom left (don't seem like dinosaurs, are dinosaurs):]
[Bottom right (don't seem like dinosaurs, are not dinosaurs):]

comment.png  Add comment      new topic.png  Create topic (use sparingly)     refresh discuss.png  Refresh 

Discussion

Make changes, try things out, or just have fun with the wiki here! Just leave everything above the line alone, please.


This is a test. PoolloverNathan[stalk the blue seas] 20:48, 16 March 2021 (UTC)

This is not. —While False (museum | talk | contributions | logs | rights | printable version | page information | what links there | related changes | Google search | current time: 20:11) 18:38, 17 November 2022 (UTC)
A foreign student asked me to help fight against his math teacher. That was unusual. He was in that class for just a couple of weeks. The teacher's phone number was sent to me. The student asked me to spam-call the teacher. 172.71.155.55 22:58, 18 September 2023 (UTC)

here i'm just messing around in html, ignore this

furhhfghure guyrburgryhuyvfr "rvhru"

interesting way of writing quotations xd

hmmm this one of putting "<p>" in a line break will come in handy for when i want it to start at the same place than the first line

Please beware that <p> on mediawiki also disables automatic paragraph breaks, so you need a closing </p> or you'll break automatic paragraph formatting for the rest of the page. Zmatt (talk) 22:06, 31 July 2024 (UTC)

edit: da hek did that "</div>" come from An user who has no account yet (talk) 14:14, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

hi uh its hard to get here. is this a reference to undocumented feature??? hmm... this is interesting.
108.162.241.216 02:05, 23 November 2023 (UTC)

Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
Tomato soup.jpg Soup
yum yum [citation needed]

Hiuiedeixgeyceiyedhcdiedcve {{trout}}

This is the leaderboard:

Last 7 days (Top 50)

<a href=" [AT THE JULY 28TH MEETING][tab] "Cancel the meeting! Our cover is blown.">

More testing: hello ​ does​this​work (yes​it​does) This isn't a good name (talk) 22:44, 28 January 2026 (UTC)
      comment.png  Add comment

      new topic.png  View comic discussion

New here?[edit]

Last 30 days (Top 10)

Lots of people contribute to make this wiki a success. Many of the recent contributors above have just joined. You can do it too! Create your account here.

You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at explain xkcd. Feel free to create an account and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for xkcd comics, characters, What If? articles, and everything in between. If it is referenced in an xkcd comic, it should be here.

  • The incomplete explanations are listed here. Feel free to help out by expanding them!

Rules[edit]

Don't be a jerk!

There are a lot of comics that don't have set-in-stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic.

If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page.

Please only submit material directly related to xkcd and, of course, only submit material that can legally be posted and freely edited. Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked.

If you need assistance from an admin, post a message to the Admin requests board.

Recent comments:

6 February 2026

N    19:56 

Talk:3204: Dinosaurs And Non-Dinosaurs‎‎ (3 changes | history) . . (+329). . [TheusafBOT‎; 42.book.addict‎; 99.26.146.61‎]

     

19:56

(cur | prev) . . (+58). . 42.book.addict (talk | contribs)

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+158). . 99.26.146.61 (talk) (Is that a heron rather than a stork?)

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(cur | prev) . . (+113). . TheusafBOT (talk | contribs) (Created by theusafBOT: talk page for 3204)

     18:22  Talk:3152: Skateboard‎ (diff | hist) . . (+287). . R128 (talk | contribs)
     18:19  Talk:3202: Groundhog Day Meaning‎ (diff | hist) . . (+292). . R128 (talk | contribs)
     14:51  Talk:1368: One Of The‎ (diff | hist) . . (+98). . 163.120.64.56 (talk) (added comment)
     09:14  Talk:3203: Binary Star‎ (diff | hist) . . (+164). . 82.13.184.33 (talk)

 m   03:39 

Talk:2725: Sunspot Cycle‎‎ (2 changes | history) . . (+272). . [Heleatunda‎ (2×)]

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Talk:2380: Election Impact Score Sheet‎‎ (2 changes | history) . . (+257). . [47.28.76.207‎ (2×)]

     

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5 February 2026

     19:33 

Talk:3201: Proof Without Content‎‎ (2 changes | history) . . (+293). . [81.179.199.253‎; 220.253.102.206‎]

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+55). . 81.179.199.253 (talk)

     

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N    19:24 

Talk:3203: Binary Star‎‎ (12 changes | history) . . (+2,200). . [Qwertyuiopfromdefly‎; TheusafBOT‎; Ralfoide‎; Barmar‎; 66.210.7.66‎; 2a12:f41:145b:1300:c59:505f:b2db:7572‎; 2a02:908:c30:5000:b86c:d747:e182:c327‎; 216.25.182.141‎; 2001:a62:5f7:fb01:bf80:8165:d7c9:b014‎; 115.70.50.73‎; 82.13.184.33‎ (2×)]

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+267). . Ralfoide (talk | contribs) (cosmic sans)

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+554). . 2a12:f41:145b:1300:c59:505f:b2db:7572 (talk) (Reference to the James Web Space Telescope)

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+241). . 2001:a62:5f7:fb01:bf80:8165:d7c9:b014 (talk) (reference to 1029)

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+148). . Qwertyuiopfromdefly (talk | contribs) (commemt)

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(cur | prev) . . (+113). . TheusafBOT (talk | contribs) (Created by theusafBOT: talk page for 3203)

     18:13  Talk:1460: SMFW‎ (diff | hist) . . (+245). . 2001:4c4e:1c00:9a00:a04e:696d:d2c4:b69 (talk) (Simple Messaging Framework)
     12:47  Talk:2841: Sign Combo‎ (diff | hist) . . (+237). . 138.75.249.122 (talk)
     11:21  Talk:1029: Drawing Stars‎ (diff | hist) . . (+54). . 82.13.184.33 (talk)

     09:13 

Talk:3202: Groundhog Day Meaning‎‎ (3 changes | history) . . (+458). . [82.13.184.33‎; 24.177.125.170‎ (2×)]

     

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     08:03  Talk:700: Complexion‎ (diff | hist) . . (+594). . 195.52.173.164 (talk)

4 February 2026

     16:55 

Talk:3202: Groundhog Day Meaning‎‎ (5 changes | history) . . (+192). . [Lordpishky‎; 66.210.7.66‎; 82.13.184.33‎ (3×)]

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+10). . Lordpishky (talk | contribs) (fixed sig w/tildes)

     16:53  Talk:3196: Aurora Coolness‎ (diff | hist) . . (+105). . 164.58.172.158 (talk)
     01:56  Talk:xkcd: volume 0‎ (diff | hist) . . (+149). . 2600:1012:a124:7252:9484:da12:f04f:a111 (talk) (added link to solved puzzles)

3 February 2026

     23:42 

Talk:3189: Conic Sections‎‎ (3 changes | history) . . (+671). . [BunsenH‎; 81.179.199.253‎ (2×)]

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+281). . BunsenH (talk | contribs) (Add a diagram back?)

     22:28 

Talk:3202: Groundhog Day Meaning‎‎ (5 changes | history) . . (+1,627). . [24.255.31.134‎; 81.179.199.253‎; 2001:638:807:507:d0dd:20bf:e52b:ccc4‎; 82.13.184.33‎ (2×)]

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+973). . 81.179.199.253 (talk)

     

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(cur | prev) . . (+99). . 24.255.31.134 (talk) (Yellow pig day is also a weird holiday.)

     

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     21:08  Talk:2174: First News Memory‎ (diff | hist) . . (+1,670). . 81.179.199.253 (talk)
     18:27  Talk:2288: Collector's Edition‎ (diff | hist) . . (+271). . This isn't a good name (talk | contribs) (this is on unixkcd, I haven't seen anyone mention it here.)
     14:02  Talk:3200: Chemical Formula‎ (diff | hist) . . (+974). . 88.84.156.245 (talk) (Abundance of Tc)