Blackbuck

The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is an ungulate species of antelope native to the Indian subcontinent that has been listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List since 2003, as its range has decreased sharply during the 20th century. The native population is stable, with an estimated 50,000 individuals as of 2001.

Taxonomy and evolution

The scientific name of the blackbuck is Antilope cervicapra. It was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae in 1758. The blackbuck is the sole extant species of the genus Antilope. Its generic name stems from the Latin word antalopus, a horned animal. The specific name cervicapra is composed of the Latin words capra, she-goat and cervus, deer.

A 1997 study found lower protein polymorphism in Antilope in comparison with Antidorcas, Eudorcas and Gazella. This was attributed to a history of rapid evolution of an autapomorphic phenotype of Antilope. This might have been aided by a particularly strong selection of a few dominant males due to its lekking behaviour.

Black Buck

For the mammal, see Blackbuck. For the RAF operation, see Operation Black Buck.

In post-Reconstruction United States, Black Buck was a racial slur used to describe a certain type of African American men. In particular, the caricature was used to describe black men who absolutely refused to bend to the law of white authority and were irredeemably violent, rude, and lecherous.

Background

According to popular stereotypes during the post-Reconstruction era, "Black Buck" was a black man (usually muscular or tall) who defies white will and is largely destructive to American society. He is usually hot-tempered, excessively violent, unintelligent, and sexually attracted to white women. Most often, any attempt to restrain, reprimand, or re-educate the individual will fail, necessitating the individual's immediate execution (usually by lynching).

Examples in media

D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation is perhaps one of the most well-known examples of the use of the "Black Buck" stereotype in the media. In the film, a former slave named Gus (described by the filmmaker as "a renegade, a product of the vicious doctrines spread by the carpetbaggers") attempts to chase down (and, apparently, rape) a white woman named Flora.