guides
Why Shouldn't You Search For A 'Dinosaur That Has 500 Teeth' On Google? The Viral 'Don't Google' Meme And Joke Explained
Don't Google memes often bait netizens into googling shock sites and imagery. Such is the case for the What Dinosaur Has 500 Teeth? meme, which was first mentioned in 2019 and is going viral again on TikTok.
For those unfamiliar, "Don't Google" memes are a type of reverse-psychology posts on Reddit, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms that warn users against googling certain words or word combinations, seeking to arouse their curiosity and bait them into making the search.
What's so special about this dinosaur with 500 teeth that's sparking a new wave of engagement bait content on social media.
What Dinosaur Has 500 Teeth And Where Is The Meme From?
If your curiosity wins and you Google what dinosaur has 500 teeth, the result will show the dinosaur's name, which is
'Nigersaurus," a play on The N-word. The earliest known post to warn people against Googling the 500-tooth dinosaur was posted September 6th, 2019 in /r/teenagers by a user whose account has since been deleted.
How Did 'What Dinosaur Has 500 Teeth?' Become A Meme?
The joke was carried to other social media in early 2020, as YouTube user WarmerBasson69 posted a video based on the joke on January 20th, 2020, and user Izzy Tube posted similar content a few days later on January 23rd, 2020.
The easy way to bait people into searching for the 500-tooth dinosaur name has been used as engagement bait content on TikTok ever since its initial popularity in 2020. For example, on February 8th, 2024, TikTok user @kickinitwithmatt reposted a video of him asking people to record their reactions after Googling what dinosaur has 500 teeth (seen below left). TikToker @victorgarand uploaded a video captioned "having a bad day? Search for which dinosaur had 500 teeth" (seen below, right).
@kickinitwithmatt #onthisday #tbt #throwbackthursday #flashback #viraltiktok this was #myfirstviralvideo ♬ original sound – KickinItWithMatt💯
@victorgarand
For the full history of "the Dinosaur with 500 teeth," be sure to check out our entry on the meme for even more information.
