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Coon

Carleton Stevens Coon (June 23, 1904 – June 3, 1981) was an American anthropologist recognized for his multidisciplinary expertise in physical anthropology, archaeology, and , emphasizing empirical fieldwork and biological analysis of human variation. Educated at , where he earned a B.A. in 1925 and a Ph.D. in 1928, Coon taught there for two decades before joining the as a professor and curator of ethnology at its museum, roles he held into the . His extensive excavations, including cave sites in , , and , yielded insights into prehistoric human adaptations and migrations, documented in works like The Riffian (1933) and The Seven Caves (1957). Coon's most defining contribution was his Darwinian framework for racial origins, articulated in The Origin of Races (1962), which posited that major races evolved in parallel from separate lineages based on fossil morphology, craniometrics, and regional continuity—challenging monolithic models of human dispersal and anticipating elements of later multiregional hypotheses. This empirical approach, rooted in physical evidence rather than , provoked intense controversy, with detractors in mid-20th-century —often aligned with environmentalist paradigms—labeling it as endorsing , though Coon maintained it was purely scientific and rejected supremacist interpretations. His broader oeuvre, including The Races of (1939) and The Story of Man (1954), popularized these findings while underscoring adaptive differences among populations, influencing debates on amid shifting academic norms.

Zoology

Mammals

"Coon" refers to the common (Procyon lotor), a medium-sized native to , where the term emerged as a colloquial abbreviation of "" in by 1742. The word "" itself derives from the Algonquian term arahkun, denoting "he scratches with the hands," reflecting the animal's dexterous forepaws used for and manipulation. This species belongs to the family and is characterized by its distinctive black mask around the eyes, ringed tail, and stocky build, with adults typically weighing 4 to 23 kilograms and measuring 40 to 70 centimeters in body length, excluding the tail. Primarily nocturnal, raccoons exhibit a "dousing" , manipulating food in water, which may aid in sensory exploration rather than cleaning. Raccoons are omnivorous opportunists, with diets varying seasonally: summer foraging emphasizes fruits, while animal matter like , , frogs, small vertebrates, and carrion dominates in other periods, comprising up to 60% of intake in some . Their highly adaptable allows exploitation of diverse food sources, including human garbage in settings. Native to forested, , and riparian zones across , have proliferated due to habitat modification, with populations expanding dramatically—estimated to have increased 15 to 20 times between and —and now numbering in the tens of millions continent-wide, including . Local densities can reach 5 or more individuals per square kilometer in bottomland hardwoods. Introduced to in the 1920s via fur farms, primarily in , raccoons have established feral populations, classified as invasive under EU regulations due to predation on native amphibians, reptiles, and ground-nesting , alongside competition for resources and crop damage. Ecological studies indicate regionally severe impacts, such as reduced amphibian breeding success, though broader effects remain under assessment. In the , hold cultural significance as a game species, with "" traditions dating to Native American practices and adopted by using scent hounds to track and tree the animals at night for fur and meat. caps, fashioned from pelts with tails attached, served practical purposes for warmth among and frontiersmen, gaining frontier symbolism in the 18th and 19th centuries before broader popularity in the 20th via media depictions. Annual harvests exceed 100,000 in states like , reflecting sustained management of abundant populations.

Insects

Losaria coon, known as the common clubtail, is a species of in the family Papilionidae, originally described by in 1793 as coon. The species comprises at least ten , distributed across , including , , and , with variations in wing markings such as yellow or red thoracic patches distinguishing forms like the nominate subspecies from others like L. c. doubledayi. Adults exhibit black wings with creamy-white bands and red or yellow accents, featuring elongated club-like tails on the hindwings typical of the Losaria genus, which aids in evasion of predators through and deflection. The life cycle of L. coon follows the standard holometabolous metamorphosis of : eggs laid singly on host plants, larvae progressing through five instars feeding on species (Dutchman's pipe vines), pupation in a chrysalis, and emergence as adults that on flowers, contributing to in tropical forest edges and gardens. Habitats prefer lowland to mid-elevation forests up to 1,500 meters, with sightings documented in entomological surveys from the onward, though populations remain stable and classified as Least Concern due to extensive range exceeding 8 million km². Other minor entomological uses include Psolos fuligo, a hesperiid skipper butterfly from India also termed "coon," characterized by dusky wings with forewing tips and hindwing spots, inhabiting similar temperate to subtropical regions and undergoing metamorphosis with larval host plants in Poaceae grasses. In heteropteran nomenclature, "coon bugs" refer to certain lygaeid insects like Oxycarenus species in Australia, seed-feeding pests with black-and-white patterns evoking raccoon markings, but these lack direct binomial ties to "coon" and hold limited taxonomic prominence beyond regional pest records post-1950s. Unlike mammalian "coon" designations, insect applications are rare, confined to specific genera without broad vernacular adoption in modern field guides.

Individuals

Carleton S. Coon

Carleton Stevens Coon was an American physical anthropologist, archaeologist, and born on June 23, 1904, in , and who died on June 3, 1981, in . He graduated from with an A.B. degree magna cum laude in 1925 and earned his Ph.D. in there in 1928, subsequently joining the Harvard faculty as an instructor in 1927 and advancing to professor by 1948. In 1948, Coon moved to the , where he served as professor of and curator of ethnology at the University Museum until his retirement in 1963. Coon's fieldwork encompassed extensive excavations and surveys in , the , and , contributing empirical data to understandings of human physical variation and prehistoric adaptations. Notable efforts included digs at a cave site near , , in 1939, yielding fossils and artifacts indicative of presence, and explorations of sites in , , and during the . In , he conducted anthropometric measurements of local populations in the , as detailed in his 1935 publication Measuring Ethiopia and Flight into Arabia, which documented regional skeletal and cultural traits alongside archaeological observations. His multidisciplinary approach integrated physical measurements, fossil , and cultural contexts, earning him the in 1952 for advancements in physical . In The Origin of Races (1962), Coon synthesized fossil evidence from global sites, including his Moroccan and Ethiopian findings, to argue that five primary human races emerged through parallel evolution from regional populations, with some groups achieving Homo sapiens morphology earlier than others due to varying environmental pressures and genetic isolations. This candelabra model prioritized chronological fossil sequences—such as earlier sapiens-like traits in and versus later in —over uniform single-origin timelines, grounding claims in direct osteological comparisons rather than diffusionist assumptions. Though criticized in academic circles for potential hierarchical implications and dismissed amid mid-20th-century egalitarian ideologies that often subordinated data to anti-racist orthodoxy, Coon's framework anticipated later genomic revelations of substantial non-n archaic admixture (e.g., 1-4% DNA in Eurasians), supporting regional evolutionary continuity against pure recent replacement models. These findings, from sequencing since the 2010s, indicate persistent and local selection shaped modern variation, validating causal emphasis on geographic isolation and adaptation over ideology-driven .

Other notable people

Charles Edward Coon (March 15, 1842 – August 1, 1920) served as the fifth state from 1897 to 1901. Earlier in his career, he acted as of the U.S. Treasury under President . Charles Lee Coon (December 25, 1868 – December 23, 1927) was an American educator who served as superintendent of schools in , from 1901 onward. He compiled The Beginnings of Public Education in North Carolina, 1790-1840, a two-volume documentary history published in 1908 and 1915, and advocated for enhanced facilities and funding for black education despite local opposition. Carrie Coon (born 1981) is an actress recognized for lead roles in HBO's The Leftovers (2014–2017) and FX's Fargo seasons 1, 2, and 5. She earned critical acclaim, including Emmy nominations, for dramatic performances following her theater background in . (born November 14, 1994) is an Greco-Roman wrestler in the heavyweight division who has competed for Team at the Olympics and World Championships. A alum with a 116-15 college record and three NCAA All-American honors, he briefly played professional football as an offensive tackle for the in 2021. David Coon (born October 28, 1956) is a Canadian and who has led the since 2012. Elected as the first Green MLA for Fredericton South in 2014, he retained the seat through 2024 amid party reductions to two legislative seats.

Cultural and artistic uses

Coon songs and minstrel traditions

Coon songs constituted a genre of that arose in the United States during the , characterized by rhythms and lyrics portraying exaggerated as shiftless urban dandies or "coons," often involving themes of , drinking, and romantic rivalry. These songs drew from earlier traditions but incorporated syncopated piano accompaniments influenced by emerging , marking a commercial evolution amid the post-Reconstruction Jim Crow era's laws, which intensified between 1890 and 1910. The term "coon" in this context derived from rural American dialect referring to raccoons or shrewd individuals, predating its widespread racial application and reflecting market demand for novelty tunes rather than originating as a deliberate . A seminal example was "All Coons Look Alike to Me," composed in 1896 by African American performer , whose sheet music sold over a million copies and sparked a proliferation of similar compositions, including imitations by white songwriters. Other hits, such as Fred Fisher's 1905 "If the Man in the Moon Were a Coon," achieved three million sales, underscoring the genre's profitability through and parlor performances. African American songwriters like Bob Cole contributed prolifically, penning dozens of coon songs such as "No Coons Allowed," while Black minstrel troupes, including Hogan's own acts, performed them onstage, demonstrating agency in adapting for economic gain within segregated entertainment circuits. In minstrel traditions, coon songs were predominantly rendered by white performers in , perpetuating caricatures from 19th-century shows featuring characters like , but Black ensembles increasingly integrated them, blending elements of and cakewalks to appeal to diverse audiences. The genre's and cylinder recordings generated millions in revenue by the early 1900s, influencing proto-jazz developments through rhythmic innovations, though historians note its dual legacy: musical experimentation amid racial denigration driven by consumer preferences rather than institutional imposition. While some contemporary critics decried the reinforcement of derogatory images, the participation of Black creators like highlighted pragmatic adaptation to a lucrative niche, with empirical sales data affirming widespread appeal across racial lines.

Other media and entertainment

The "coon" archetype featured prominently in early American cinema as a stock comedic figure embodying buffoonery and laziness, distinct from musical performances. The inaugural cinematic example appeared in the 1905 short film Wooing and Wedding of a Coon, produced by the , which portrayed two black men as stuttering, inept suitors in a emphasizing racial for humor. Such depictions proliferated in silent-era films, where the coon served as an "amusement object," often shuffling and grinning to elicit laughter from audiences attuned to dialect-based comedy. In the 1930s, actor Lincoln Perry, performing under the stage name , epitomized the archetype through roles in over 20 features, including Hearts in Dixie (1929) and (1934), where he played slow-witted, work-averse servants who mumbled and feigned ignorance. Perry's portrayals, drawing on traditions, generated substantial box-office revenue—earning him an estimated $2 million by the mid-1930s—and established him as the era's highest-paid black entertainer, reflecting the commercial viability of these characters amid widespread acceptance of vernacular stereotypes. Black performers like Perry occasionally incorporated self-referential elements, adapting the for economic gain within constrained industry opportunities, though it drew postwar condemnation for reinforcing dehumanizing imagery. These representations extended to early , where coon figures appeared as lazy, grinning sidekicks in theatrical shorts, such as those from in the 1930s and 1940s, often evoking raccoon-like mischief through exaggerated features and idle antics. Prevalence tied to 19th-century dialect humor persisted into the early but declined sharply post-World War II, as civil rights advocacy and evolving production codes curtailed overt caricatures in mainstream outlets by the 1950s.

Slang and terminology

Derogatory racial usage

The term "coon" derives from a colloquial abbreviation of "," first attested in in 1742 to denote the animal noted for its dexterity and cunning. By the mid-19th century, around 1848–1860, it extended non-racially to describe shrewd or crafty persons, serving as a for members of the U.S. Party, who adopted the as a symbol of political astuteness. This of slyness facilitated its later shift, as the animal's traits—such as nocturnal and perceived thievery—were mapped onto stereotypes. The derogatory racial application to Black people emerged in the late 19th century, evolving through commercial entertainment rather than originating as a deliberate slur; it applied to caricatures depicting Black individuals as lazy, buffoonish, or criminally inclined, thereby dehumanizing them by equating human behavior with animal instincts. Usage intensified during the Jim Crow era (roughly 1890s to 1960s), where "coon" reinforced segregationist ideologies by linking Black people to raccoon-like attributes of laziness, dishonesty, and primitiveness, as seen in pervasive imagery and rhetoric that justified discriminatory laws and social exclusion. The records the sense of "coon" as a contemptuous term for a person by the early , reflecting its entrenched role in racial lexicon. While broadly offensive in contemporary mainstream discourse—due to its reductive and animalistic implications—historical evidence shows occasional self-application within during the early , sometimes connoting perceived to authority, though this did not mitigate its primary function as a tool of supremacist derogation. Empirical of archives indicates a sharp decline in public usage post-1960s civil advancements, correlating with broader shifts away from overt racial epithets amid legal and cultural pressures against Jim Crow remnants.

Non-racial regional slang

In the , "coon" serves as an informal abbreviation for the (Procyon lotor), especially in rural and dialects where the animal is pursued for its fur, meat, or as a quarry in nighttime hunts with dogs. This non-derogatory usage predates 20th-century racial connotations and stems directly from the animal's name, retaining phonetic continuity without ethnic application. , a traditional practice involving scent-tracking hounds, exemplifies this regionalism, with participants using the term routinely in contexts like baiting or treeing the animal. Specialized dog breeds known as coonhounds illustrate the term's integration into Southern vernacular and culture. These include the American English Coonhound, derived from foxhounds imported by European settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries, selectively bred for their ability to trail and bay at raccoons treed during hunts. By the late 18th century, such hounds were commonly referred to as "English dogs" in the American South for coon pursuits, with formal breed recognition by organizations like the American Kennel Club occurring in the 20th century but rooted in earlier colonial hunting traditions. The terminology underscores a practical, animal-focused slang distinct from urban or pejorative evolutions elsewhere. In Southern folklore, "coon" appears benignly as in Joel Chandler Harris's tales, serialized from 1880 onward, where Brer Coon functions as an anthropomorphic trickster akin to , drawing from oral traditions among rural storytellers without implied racial . These narratives, collected in during the post-Civil War era, preserve "coon" as a neutral descriptor tied to wildlife behaviors like foraging or cunning escapes, verifiable in primary texts emphasizing animal archetypes over human ethnicities. Among in southern , "" emerged as a self-referential ethnic term by the mid-20th century, often embraced proudly to denote resilient, rural Acadian marked by manual labor, , and swamp living—habits likened humorously to raccoon-like tenacity or appearance. Though its precise remains debated, possibly alluding to bare-backed fieldwork or animalistic stereotypes applied by outsiders, have reclaimed it as an in-group badge of identity, analogous to "" elsewhere, with usage documented in regional discourse since at least the . Legislative efforts in during the to deem it offensive were rejected by Cajun advocates, affirming its voluntary, non-racial adoption within the community.

Other uses

Places and geography

Coon Rapids is a city in Anoka and Hennepin counties, Minnesota, with a population of approximately 62,000 residents as of recent estimates, serving as a northern suburb of Minneapolis. The area traces its organization to July 30, 1857, as part of Anoka Township, with early settlement in the mid-19th century driven by farming and brick manufacturing along Coon Creek. The name derives from the rapids on Coon Creek, where 19th-century settlers observed behaviors resembling raccoon activity or hunted the animals for pelts, reflecting common wildlife-based naming conventions in frontier geography rather than derogatory slang. The city was formally incorporated in 1959, and despite periodic debates over the name, it has retained it, with minimal changes to geographic designations. Coon Valley is a village in , with a 2020 population of 758, situated in a known for its role in early 20th-century efforts. Settled by immigrants in the 1850s, initially referred to as Helgedalen, the area adopted the name from Coon Creek, tied to local populations abundant in the unglaciated driftless region topography. In 1933, it became the site of the first federal demonstration project under the , implementing contour farming and terraces on over 100 farms to address erosion from steep slopes and heavy rains, establishing a model for . Numerous streams named Coon Creek appear across the U.S. Midwest and South, often as tributaries in rural counties, exemplifying 19th-century descriptive nomenclature for waterways frequented by raccoons. Examples include Coon Creek in McHenry and DeKalb counties, , a tributary of the Kishwaukee River retaining natural pools and riffles in its upper reaches; Coon Creek in , central to the valley's hydrology; and Coon Creek in , flowing through flat to rolling terrain with clay loam soils supporting agriculture. These features generally lack significant renaming efforts tied to , preserving origins linked to observable rather than human cultural overlays.

Brands and commercial products

Coon cheese, a cheddar brand produced in , originated from a cheesemaking process patented by American inventor Edward William Coon in 1926, which improved ripening and digestibility. The product was first manufactured as "Red Coon" in 1931 and rebranded simply as Coon around 1959 by Kraft Walker Cheese Company (later owned by Saputo Dairy ), with the name directly referencing Coon's rather than any racial . Despite decades of resistance from the company, which emphasized the non-racial etymology, Saputo announced in July 2020 and implemented in 2021 a rebranding to following sustained campaigns by activists citing the term's derogatory associations in other contexts. In the United States, the Davy Crockett media phenomenon, fueled by Disney's television miniseries starring , sparked a commercial fad for coonskin caps fashioned from pelts, with millions of units sold as authentic or synthetic replicas between 1954 and 1956. These products, often including the animal's tail and marketed to children as attire, generated widespread tie-ins such as playsuits and toys, though the craze subsided by amid overhunting concerns and market saturation. Raccoon bacula, the penile bones of the animal, have been commercialized in folk traditions as "Texas toothpicks" or good-luck charms, particularly in Southern and regions, where they are cleaned, polished, and sold for uses like pipe tampers, jewelry components, or talismans believed to confer fortune or virility. These items, sourced from hunted raccoons and averaging 3-5 inches in length, continue to appear in specialty wildlife and curio markets, reflecting historical Ozark and Native practices without formal branding but as niche consumer goods.

Miscellaneous applications

In coon hunting, specialized breeds of dogs known as coonhounds are employed to track and tree raccoons at night, a rooted in rural traditions dating to the colonial era. The , developed from English foxhounds in the mid-18th century by breeders like Thomas Walker in , exemplifies this application; the breed was selectively bred for its speed, endurance, and vocal trailing to pursue raccoons up trees, with formal recognition by the occurring in the early 20th century following refinements from strains like the Tennessee Lead dog imported around 1800. Other coonhound varieties, such as the , share similar origins but differ in coat and scenting style, emphasizing the term "coon" in their nomenclature to denote primary quarry. The baculum, or penis bone, has featured in regional as a practical tool and , particularly among moonshiners in the and Ozark regions who utilized its rigid, tapered shape—typically 3 to 4 inches long—to direct the flow of distilled spirits from still drips into collection jars, a technique persisting into the despite legal prohibitions on unlicensed . In Ozark folk traditions among white rural communities, the bone served as a good-luck carried for or gambling success, while in Southern hoodoo practices, it was employed in rituals for love attraction or potency, reflecting pre-industrial resourcefulness rather than formalized Native American rites, though analogous uses appear in broader indigenous tool-making for pipe cleaning or whistles. These applications underscore the term "coon" in vernacular references to anatomy, distinct from commercial or derogatory contexts.