What began as an inside joke among colleagues soon became an online sensation, which has raged all week under the hashtag #AddLasersToPaleoart. From terror birds to pterosaurs, dozens of species were reimagined with laser-shooting prowess, proving that the Internet will eventually find a way to add lasers to pretty much anything (see: laser cats; laser sharks).@TetZoo @MikeTaylor Fighting sauropods and #paleoart from me, you say? These concepts have met before… pic.twitter.com/OujeHwYSlo
— Mark Witton (@MarkWitton) August 10, 2015
I couldn't resist joining in! @tattoosandbones @MarkWitton @RealSparklePony @TetZoo @MikeTaylor #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/TvxzHivkY5
— Jack Mayer Wood (@TheWoodParable) August 10, 2015
.@TheWoodParable @tattoosandbones @MarkWitton @TetZoo @MikeTaylor #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/xeQNQ9O6ZF
— Peter Huestis (@RealSparklePony) August 10, 2015
My contribution to #AddLasersToPaleoart, because this is a very important hashtag. pic.twitter.com/DfhYFp323Q
— Emily Willoughby (@eawilloughby) August 10, 2015
#AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/IzTshQkGDf
— Sir Peter O'Saur (@paleofreak) August 10, 2015
My contribution to #AddLasersToPaleoart: Power-puking Brachiosaurus destroys puny theropod with its secret weapon. pic.twitter.com/wFnFH9S9T3
— Anthony J. Martin (@Ichnologist) August 10, 2015
All flee before Lasergorgosaurus #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/7hfOWpKEAX
— Alex Lovegrove (@SkyOzzy) August 10, 2015
Because Internet! #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/opQQVtqFla
— Chris Masna (@ChrisMasnaOk) August 10, 2015
Little did Deinosuchus know that Monoclonius is Greek for "Freakin' Lasers for Eyes!" #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/qWlxtVMfFb
— Josh Cotton (@thedoodlingdino) August 10, 2015
Now, that's a proper terror bird. (.gif) #AddLaserstoPaleoart pic.twitter.com/ygYPH5kBU0
— Chris Masna (@ChrisMasnaOk) August 10, 2015
Why should vertebrates have all the fun? #AddLaserstoPaleoart pic.twitter.com/RHCem6S2rv
— Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. (@TomHoltzPaleo) August 11, 2015
During the Early Cretaceous, laser eye searchlights helped Dilong find its prey at night #addlaserstopaleoart pic.twitter.com/niaDNgGvvh
— Alex Lovegrove (@SkyOzzy) August 11, 2015
I decided to take #AddLasersToPaleoart in a slightly different direction. Because toys are art too! pic.twitter.com/h98TSjDkLg
— Talcott Starr (@talcotts) August 11, 2015
Don't have many good pieces to do this with but here's last year's Deinonychus GIF with LASERS #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/VSON6ULVMB
— Angela R. Connor (@Amaruuk) August 11, 2015
Found another I could use, laser Yi! #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/doZi0yPj0b
— Angela R. Connor (@Amaruuk) August 11, 2015
Saber-toothed cats actually used their canines to store and release energy blasts. #AddLasersToPaleoArt @TetZoo pic.twitter.com/rYrxV9WiCq
— Uncivilized Elk (@UncivilizedElk) August 12, 2015
The most important Twitter hashtag of our lifetimes: #AddLasersToPaleoArt. pic.twitter.com/kMRNVMxNdB
— Vanderleun (@Van_der_Leun) August 16, 2015
Oh yeah, #addlaserstopaleoart (original: http://t.co/87eoydhDfB) pic.twitter.com/5NAZZxFr6p
— David Orr (@anatotitan) August 14, 2015
Я должен в этом поучаствовать #AddLasersToPaleoArt pic.twitter.com/YPtg3WvuzF
— 2khaz (@sirkhakha) August 14, 2015
#AddLaserstoPaleoart is best when it's a) your own art, or b) you credit/tag the original artist. pic.twitter.com/dEuSTlQdVk
— Glendon Mellow (@FlyingTrilobite) August 14, 2015
Hupehsuchians were bizarre marine reptile from the Triassic with stunning adaptations #AddLasersToPaleoArt pic.twitter.com/wj0evE8eIk
— Carlos de Miguel (@Carlosdino88) August 14, 2015
Of course, this is the real reason that moa went extinct… #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/Tc86KgA4MB
— Jamie Wood (@larusnz) August 13, 2015
Take this, inferior mollusc ! PEW PEW ! #AddLaserstoPaleoart #Titanosaur #Angeac-Charente (drawing : @PLavaud_Mazan) pic.twitter.com/Vq7wXdvGrv
— C Peyre de Fabrègues (@ClairePdF) August 13, 2015
Pterano-lasers - the real reason for all those volcanoes. Fortunately T rex fights back. #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/a1FTdu7H3R
— swordznsorcery (@swordznsorcery) August 13, 2015
I had to add lasers to this … err… thing… I feel that now is more scientifically accurate #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/rKbnOJt8ho
— Ezequiel Vera (@ezequielvera) August 13, 2015
Только зарегался, а уже картиночки заливаю #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/11N5KEqJGy
— Archibald Minasian (@nika_arthurka) August 12, 2015
Now we know how they all died… #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/WiHBmuPCQo
— Sandy Kilpatrick (@SandyK1LL) August 12, 2015
Quick & dirty job on a phone but I couldn't resist. Laser Synapsids ftw @TetZoo #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/fPAkFef5oF
— kamorra terrone (@kamorra) August 12, 2015
Did not think it was possible but I improved the thagomizer. #AddLasersToPaleoArt pic.twitter.com/WMSMI4ihv2
— Jim Miller (@FlashMapper) August 12, 2015
#Concavenator shows #Pelecanimimus and #Europejara who rules in #LasHoyas. But it's not easy!!! #AddLaserstoPaleoart pic.twitter.com/AsdC9xNJOm
— Iván Narváez (@inarvaezpadilla) August 12, 2015
Gracias Twitter por estas cosas; #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/AebFPZl6x6
— GonzaloAresVillafañe (@GonziAV) August 12, 2015
Photo: Ok, I couldn't resist, here is my contribution to #AddLasersToPaleoArt on Twitter. http://t.co/3KPtSY0SsW
— Bob Nicholls (@Paleocreations) August 12, 2015
El último del día porque sino cagamos #AddLaserstoPaleoart pic.twitter.com/2wJDxrECGo
— RevistaVelociraptors (@RVelociraptors) August 12, 2015
"Interspecific grooming my ass! shooo! shooo!" Argentinosaurus vs pterosaurs #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/HjhCFmCseG
— Ezequiel Vera (@ezequielvera) August 12, 2015
.@ezequielvera nos pegó el vicio y ahora no podemos parar #AddLaserstoPaleoart pic.twitter.com/HEP9tqo2L4
— RevistaVelociraptors (@RVelociraptors) August 12, 2015
#AddLasersToPaleoart is the hashtag we deserved. http://t.co/QwqZwGYzRh
— 滝澤 政道 (@actual_seidou) August 12, 2015
For today's #AddLasersToPaleoArt, here's the Eocene fish Notogoneus making trail on lake bottom & firing lasers. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/noO4lJuXkC
— Anthony J. Martin (@Ichnologist) August 12, 2015
So, I found this hashtag earlier today and decided to contribute because why the heck not? #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/Y8UhxHrO5I
— ivani (@naomiivani) August 12, 2015
Buitreraptor showing us his laser-guided fishing skills #addlaserstopaleoart pic.twitter.com/t6H4GsCnfF
— Lauren (@Shichahn) August 12, 2015
#AddLasersToPaleoart for more awesomeness. pic.twitter.com/K67R5o1TMv
— Noah Williams (@noah_anyname) August 12, 2015
I hope this trend never dies. I'm just starting to get good at this! :D #AddLasersToPaleoart pic.twitter.com/rHQzUMtf4T
— Noah Williams (@noah_anyname) August 12, 2015
What deserves the laser treatment next?#AddLasersToPaleoart makes your fav kids movie even better! pic.twitter.com/a5fCl5lTgX
— Patricia Fancher (@trish_fancher) August 11, 2015