Tiktaalik Spells Evolution Sticker

We’re all fish! That statement may sound silly, but if you were to go back some 375 million years (some 100 million generations, give or take a few), you’d find our ancestors just starting to venture out of water onto land. We know this because several fossils from around this time show a transition from fish with fins living their entire life in water to four-legged animals able to come out completely on land (called “tetrapods” for having four feet). Tiktaalik roseae is the star fossil of this water-to-land transition.

Although discovered in the Canadian Arctic, Tiktaalik’s habitat when it was alive (the Late Devonian Period) was a warm, freshwater forest. The name Tiktaalik actually means “large freshwater fish” in Inuktitut, one of the Inuit languages spoken in the Nunavut territory where Tiktaalik was discovered. Tiktaalik had the scales, fins, and gills of a fish. But its eyes were positioned more on the top of its head for venturing out of the water and its limbs were also robust enough to push off the ground. In other words, Tiktaalik was our first ancestor to do a push-up.

3D Anatomy Studios member Tim Sosa created this hand-drawn illustration to highlight the importance of Tiktaalik in understanding our own evolution and the evolution of all tetrapods (frogs, turtles, birds, lizards, and mammals like ourselves). With the unfortunate recent politicization of evolution, we sought to create art that would reframe the topic by putting a face on evolution itself.

Display this sticker on your laptop, water bottle, phone case, or any other smooth surface to celebrate the endlessly beautiful forms that have resulted from evolution. And the fascinating ancestors along the way who have made us who we are today.

Sticker application and removal

Our 100% removable vinyl stickers can be applied to any smooth surface such as glass, plastic, water bottles (e.g., Nalgene® bottles), and most computer cases (e.g., outer surface of a MacBook®). They will not adhere to silicone or textured surfaces such as textured thermoses or textured phone cases. The stickers can be easily removed by peeling up the sticker from the edge. The sticker will come up as a single piece and remaining residue, if any, can be removed with soap and water or alcohol. For complete application and removal instructions please see our sticker application instructions.

Sticker durability

These stickers are durable, long lasting and waterproof. When properly applied (i.e., the entire edge of the sticker is completely adhered) they will last on a surface for months. However, these stickers are not dishwasher, microwave, fridge, or freezer safe.

Sticker background and dimensions

Both the medium and small size stickers are created by printing the design on clear vinyl material. This underlying clear vinyl forms a 0.1 in (2.5 mm) margin around the outside of the entire sticker. The dimensions given in the product images and “Additional Information” section exclude this clear margin. Thus, to calculate the total dimensions of the sticker (including the clear margin), add an additional 0.2 in (5 mm) or 0.1 in (2.5 mm) on each side.

Product Credits

Illustration “Tiktaalik Spells Evolution” by Tim Sosa. Sticker design by Callie Crawford and Aaron Olsen. Product photography by Aaron Olsen. Product description by Aaron Olsen and Callie Crawford.