What the hell was that speck of matter on Ted Cruz's lip?

A mysterious white thing — styrofoam? Tooth fragment? Allegra tablet? — danced between the senator's lips before he ultimately sucked it back into his mouth and swallowed. (Cue uncomfortable audience laughter.)

It was the mysterious particle, and not the debate discourse, that took center stage in the postgame wrap-up.

Read more: Everything You Missed From the Republican Debate in Detroit

"I feel ill," Gawker's Gabrielle Bluestone wrote of the phantom speck.

A lot has happened in tonight's #GOPDebate but whatever was in Cruz's mouth is forever branded in our memories http://vine.co/v/iglwgw1QrhO

In a Republican debate that plumbed new depths in schoolyard taunting — including a disquisition on candidate penis size in the opening minutes — the speck has dominated online conversation with Twitter sleuths and pundits weighing in.

Ted Cruz lip debris is our generation's Zapruder film. #GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/Ycq3Fw0kSh

What the F just appeared on Ted Cruz's lip??? #Lip-gate pic.twitter.com/dGkoollZ2Z

You know what I think flew onto Ted Cruz's lip during the #GOPDebate? Tonsil cheese. Seriously - google it. #ewww pic.twitter.com/3NilmoyaUU

BREAKING NEWS: That thing in Ted Cruz's lip has mutated. #GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/ukgMotIMBR https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CcrUrKlUEAAl2jW.jpg:large

That moment when Ted Cruz ate whatever was on his lip. #GOPDebate #tedcruzlip pic.twitter.com/E6RObYMCGd

Of everyone on stage, the only one I liked was that Rice Krispie on @tedcruz's lip and it got swallowed. #GOPDebate #TYTLive

GOPDebate viewers want to know: What's on Ted Cruz's lip? http://bit.ly/1oTzn0a

Until now, most of the recent GOP conspiracy theories have been debunked. On Thursday, Chris Christie confirmed that he was not, in fact, the victim of a Super Tuesday hostage situation. And the fact that Ted Cruz was born after the Zodiac killings put to bed speculation that he was the perpetrator.

At the time of this writing, the case of #lipgate remains open.