 The term "thagomizer" originated as a joke from a "Far Side" comic strip, in which a group of cavemen in a lecture hall are taught by their caveman professor that the spikes were named in honor of "the late Thag Simmons" (the implication is that the thagomizer was responsible for Thag's death).The term has been popularly adopted by many palaeontological authorities, including the Smithsonian Institution.In September 2002, a hoax poster was presented at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology entitled "The case for "Stegosaurus" as an agile, cursorial biped", ostensibly by T. R. Karbek (an anagram of R. T. Bakker) from the non-existent "Steveville Academy of Palaeontological Studies".