title: Barbara Gordon

text: Oracle is subsequently featured in "Oracle: The Cure", a limited series written by Kevin VanHook and a crossover arc with "" (2009). The story chronologically follows the events of the "Final Crisis" and "Batman R.I.P." (2008). Oracle has returned to Gotham, and although the Birds of Prey are disbanded, she continues to summon them to help Nightwing and Robin deal with the growing crime in Gotham. The Calculator's plans finally come to their fruition, and Kuttler, hoping to save his dying daughter Wendy takes on the "Babbage" alias and begins prowling the digital world of "Alta Viva", a virtual world game, for fragments of the Anti-Life Equation unleashed by Darkseid. Oracle, now living in a dilapidated rented apartment in Gotham, becomes aware of Kuttler's activities after "Cheesefiend", one of her informants, is brutally killed, with the Anti-Life Equation itself, after coming in contact with Babbage. Hoping to stop the Calculator and prevent him from piecing together the fragments of the Anti-Life Equation in his possession, Oracle travels to Hong Kong, hoping to steal them back by the means of an advanced supercomputer programmed to track the chunk of data left behind by Babbage. However, the Calculator discovers her attempts, swearing vengeance upon her. She manages to defeat Calculator, rendering the Anti-Life Equation's fragments useless.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In 2009, the "Batgirl" comic book was relaunched with Stephanie Brown starring as the title character. Although Oracle initially tries to discourage Brown from crime-fighting, she eventually comes to accept her as Batgirl. She also mentors the Calculator's daughter, Wendy Harris, who was disabled following an attack at Titans Tower. Oracle later takes a job as an assistant professor at Gotham University. During the Green Lantern limited series "Blackest Night", Hal Jordan crashes into the Bat-Signal after a fight with the Black Lantern Martian Manhunter. Oracle and Commissioner Gordon are both present. "Origins & Omens" hints towards an involvement in the storyline. After sending Green Lantern's intel to every superhero community across the planet of the Black Lanterns, the Gordons find themselves being attacked by the original Dark Knight's deceased rogue gallery members, who are all reanimated by the Black Lantern Corps. Oracle and her father are forced to fight for their lives as they witness the Black Lanterns massacring everyone on sight at Gotham Central. During the crisis, Oracle is rendered unconscious by an explosion and is possessed by Deadman, who uses Oracle's body to save Commissioner Gordon from the reanimated King Snake and the Trigger Twins. After being rescued by Batman, Robin, and Red Robin, the Gordons were attacked by Batman and Red Robin's parents with their saviors, the reanimated Graysons and the Drakes. While Grayson and Drake battle the Black Lanterns, Robin takes the Gordons to their underground base where Alfred tends her and her father's wounds.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In Greg Rucka's "Detective Comics" #862, Barbara Gordon is approached by Huntress and Renee Montoya (the new Question) for help in tracking down a mysterious criminal who ordered a hit on them. Montoya is flabbergasted upon discovering that "Commissioner Gordon's daughter" is a superhero. In 2010, "Birds of Prey" was relaunched with Gail Simone returning to write the comic. The first arc is a tie-in with the Green Lantern "Brightest Day" limited series. Oracle reforms the Birds of Prey, this time with Dove and the recently resurrected Hawk as members. A new villainess calling herself the White Canary begins menacing the Birds, and publicly reveals Black Canary's civilian identity and frames her for a murder. While the team contends with White Canary in the streets of Gotham, Oracle is kidnapped by her former associates, Savant and Creote. This is eventually revealed to be a ruse in order to trick White Canary. Following the team's victory against White Canary, Oracle fakes her death during a battle with Calculator. With most of the criminal underworld now believing that she is dead, Oracle cuts off ties with all but a select few Gotham heroes, and is shown refusing to help Blue Beetle, Manhunter, and Booster Gold when they attempt to call her for assistance during battle.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In Grant Morrison's "Batman: The Return" (2010), an installment of the limited series "" (2010), Batman enlists Oracle to help him run Batman Incorporated, a new global team of Batmen. He tasks her with helping him fight crime on a virtual front and shows her a new modified Batgirl design that acts as her virtual avatar. Oracle is later shown directing Cassandra Cain, now known as "Black Bat", on a mission in Hong Kong, where she captures some heroin smugglers for Batman. In Scott Snyder's "Black Mirror" storyline, Barbara Gordon is kidnapped by her brother, James Gordon Jr., who had returned to Gotham after a lengthy absence to become a serial killer. He stabs her in both of her legs, positioning the knives so that if she removes them, she will bleed to death. As she slowly bleeds, she can use her wits to distract him long enough for Batman and Commissioner Gordon to arrive and defeat her brother.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In September 2011, following the company-wide relaunch, Barbara Gordon stars in a new "Batgirl" series—one of "The New 52" titles featuring the company's most iconic characters. The conclusion of the limited series "Flashpoint" (2011) establishes a new continuity within the DC Universe, with all characters regressing to a younger age and earlier stage in their careers while remaining in a modern timeline. DC Senior VP of Sales, Bob Wayne, explained that with each of their titles reverting to issue #1, "our creative teams have the ability to take a more modern approach—not only with each character, but with how the characters interact with one another and the universe as a whole, and focus on the earlier part of the careers of each of our iconic characters." Barbara Gordon is biological daughter of James Gordon and Barbara Eileen Gordon in this continuity. Wayne also stated that ""The Killing Joke" still happened and she was Oracle. Now she will go through physical rehabilitation and become a more seasoned and nuanced character because she had these incredible and diverse experiences. Public reaction to the change has been mixed and has included criticism that DC has reduced the diversity of their character lineup, as well as "being disrespectful of the power the character had gained as a symbol to the disabled community in her role as Oracle."<ref name="OP/ED: ORACLE Is Stronger Than BATGIRL Will Ever Be"></ref>


title: Barbara Gordon

text: DC Comics co-publisher Dan DiDio explained the decision by stating that "[w]e didn't want to turn our back on the diversity issue, but she'll always be the most recognizable [Batgirl]. We are working with concerns to diversify the line. We're always looking to re-position to be reflective of today's audience." Gail Simone, who will be writing the series, stated: "For many years, I got to write the character as Oracle, and there is to this day, no character who means more to me. This is classic Barbara as she was originally conceived, with a few big surprises. It's a bit of a shock, to be sure, but we're doing everything we can to be respectful to this character's amazing legacy, while presenting something thrilling that a generation of comics readers will be experiencing for the first time ... Barbara Gordon leaping, fighting, and swinging over Gotham. Now, when citizens of that city look up, they are going to see BATGIRL. And that is absolutely thrilling."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In the new, revised continuity, the events of "The Killing Joke" took place three years before the current storyline, and while it is established she was paraplegic during that time, Barbara Gordon is written as having regained her mobility after undergoing experimental surgery at a South African clinic. Series writer Gail Simone stated that while the character is "one of the smartest and toughest women in comics ... One thing the book is truly about, is that the after-effects of something like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or other trauma-related syndromes, can strike even very smart, very intellectually tough people, even soldiers and cops", a subject that is generally overlooked in comic books. She also explained the method of the character's recovery is based upon real-life experiences in that "some of the best real world work in the field of mobility rehabilitation is coming from South Africa. People have been talking about this as if it's some sort of mystical thing like returning from the dead, but there are treatments and surgeries that can restore mobility in some cases. Barbara's spine was not severed. That makes her a candidate."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Prior to release, "Batgirl" #1 sold out at the distribution level with over 100,000 copies printed in its first run according to Diamond Comic Distributors. Along with "Action Comics" #1, "Justice League" #1, "Batman" #1, "Batman and Robin" #1, "" #1, "Detective Comics" #1, "Flash" #1, "Green Lantern" #1, and "Superman" #1, retailers were required to order a second printing. Calvin Reid of "Publishers Weekly" states in a review of the first issue: "The artwork is okay though conventional, while Simone's script tries to tie up of the end of the previous Barbara Gordon/Oracle storyline and setup up the new Batgirl. Her formula: murderous villains, blood splattering violence and high flying superheroics mixed with single-white-female bonding ... plus a cliffhanger ending to the first issue that offers a nifty [segue] into the new world of Barbara Gordon and Batgirl." "The New York Times" critic George Gene Gustines wrote: "Unlike some of the other DC comics I read this week, Batgirl achieves a deft hat trick: a well-shaped reintroduction to a character, an elegant acknowledgement of fundamental history and the establishment of a new status quo. This is a must-buy series." Earning a B+ rating in a review from "Entertainment Weekly", Ken Tucker writes that Simone "[takes] her Birds of Prey storytelling powers and focuses them on the newly revived Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. The result is a burst of exhilaration, as Barbara/Batgirl revels in her new freedom even as she encounters a so-far not-terribly-chilling villain called Mirror."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Since the series relaunch in September 2011, "Batgirl" has remained within the top 30 of the 300 best-selling monthly comic book publications sold in North America. Monthly estimated sales figures are as follows: "Batgirl" #1 with 81,489 copies (ranked 12th overall), "Batgirl" #2 with 75,227 (ranked 14th), "Batgirl" #3 with 62,974 (ranked 18th), "Batgirl" #4 with 53,975 (ranked 23rd), "Batgirl" #5 with 51,327 (ranked 26th), and "Batgirl" #6 with 47,836 (ranked 30th). The hardcover edition of volume 1, "Batgirl: The Darkest Reflection", which collects issues #1–6, made "The New York Times" Best Seller list, alongside "Animal Man: The Hunt", "Batman & Robin: Born to Kill", "Batman: Detective Comics", "Wonder Woman: Blood", "Batwoman: Hydrology", "Green Lantern: Sinestro".


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Additionally, Barbara Gordon makes an appearance in "Birds of Prey" #1, where Black Canary offers her a spot on the new Birds of Prey roster. She declines Canary's invitation, suggesting that Katana take her place instead. Series writer Duane Swierczynski has stated that Batgirl will join the team in issue #4. He commented that while she "is an essential part of this team", she is not the focus of the series, as she is hesitant to be associated with the other characters because of their status as outlaws.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In October 2014, the monthly Batgirl title underwent a soft reboot with the new creative team Brenden Fletcher (writer) Cameron Stewart (writer, layouts), Babs Tarr (artist) and Maris Wicks (colors). The first six-issue story explored Barbara Gordon's attempt to start a new life as a PhD student in the hip Gotham borough of Burnside. While seemingly light and engaging compared to Gail Simone's darker preceding run, the new arc ultimately dealt with Babs' inability to fully escape her and the villain was revealed as her own brain scans, an algorithm similar to the pre-New 52 Oracle. While the reboot was highly praised for its innovative use of social media, its fun and energy, and particularly for Tarr's art, several critics condemned the villain Dagger Type in issue #37 as a transphobic caricature. In response, the creative team issued a joint apology and revised the issue for the subsequent collected edition, "Batgirl Vol. 1: The Batgirl of Burnside".


title: Barbara Gordon

text: On March 13, 2015, DC Comics released 25 Joker-themed variant covers for its various monthly series for release that June, in celebration of the character's 75th anniversary. Among them was a cover to "Batgirl" #41 by artist Rafael Albuquerque that took its inspiration from "The Killing Joke". The cover depicts the Joker standing next to a tearful Batgirl, who has a red smile painted across her mouth. The Joker has one hand holding a revolver draped over Batgirl's shoulder and is pointing to her cheek with the other hand as if gesturing to shoot her.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: The cover quickly drew criticism for highlighting a dark period in the character's history, especially when juxtaposed with the youthful, more optimistic direction of the series at the time. The hashtag #changethecover drew hundreds of posts on Twitter and Tumblr asking DC to not release the variant. DC ultimately withdrew the cover from publication at the request of Albuquerque, who stated, "My intention was never to hurt or upset anyone through my art...For that reason, I have recommended to DC that the variant cover be pulled."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In March 2016, DC Comics announced it would be relaunching all of its monthly titles in an initiative called "DC Rebirth". The relaunch restored elements of the pre-"Flashpoint" DC continuity while maintaining elements of The New 52 as well. The DC Rebirth Batgirl would remain Barbara Gordon, who would star in two monthly series: "Batgirl" (vol. 5), written by Hope Larson, and "Batgirl and the Birds of Prey", written by Julie Benson and Shawna Benson. The two comic book titles debuted in July and August 2016, respectively. In volume five of "Batgirl", Barbara Gordon is a student attending Burnside College in the trendy Burnside neighborhood of Gotham City.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Barbara later resumes her role as Oracle, providing comms and tactical support to the Birds of Prey and the Batman Family once again, as part of the 2020 Infinite Frontier relaunch, which restores much of the DC Universe status quo from before The New 52. She takes on the role during the "Joker War" storyline when the team needs a greater tactical advantage than ever to overcome the Joker's latest plot, and after her spinal support implant begins to show signs of overuse. However, she retains the right to join Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown in suiting up as Batgirl again in the future.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Various alterations of the Barbara Gordon character have appeared in storylines published in and out of mainstream continuity titles. Variants of the character within continuity often appear in stories that involve time travel, such as the crossover limited series "Zero Hour: Crisis in Time", a follow-up story preceded by the 1985 limited series "Crisis on Infinite Earths" which altered mainstream continuity. Notable imprints of DC Comics such as "Elseworlds" and "All Star DC Comics" have also featured alternate versions of the character.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Barbara Gordon, as both Batgirl and Oracle, has made several appearances in "Elseworlds" comics since 1997. The "Elseworlds" imprint takes the company's iconic characters and places them in alternate timelines, places and events making heroes "as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow." The character is given starring roles in the noir-style storyline "Thrillkiller: Batgirl & Robin" (1997), its sequel "Batgirl + Batman: Thrillkiller '62" (1998), and the one-shot comic "" (1998), all of which depict worlds where Barbara is Gotham's first bat-themed hero (Bruce Wayne is a police detective who becomes Batman in the 1960s-set "Thrillkiller" series, and merely serves as essentially her 'Alfred' in "Elseworld's Finest" in a timeline where Jim Gordon was killed rather than the Waynes).


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In addition, the character has supporting roles in "" (1998), "" (2000), "" (2003), "" (2006), and "" (2012). A version of her appears as "Nightwing" in the Smallville comic series, replacing Stephanie Brown as previously promoted.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Barbara Gordon aka Nightwing is featured as Batman's partner in the "Smallville Season 11" digital comic based on the TV series, in addition to being a valued member of Wayne Enterprises R&D.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In 2005, DC Comics launched its "All-Star" imprint—an ongoing series of comics designed to pair the company's most iconic characters with the most acclaimed writers and artists in the industry. Similar to "Elseworlds", "All-Star" is not restricted to continuity and establishes a fresh perspective for the latest generation of readership. According to Dan DiDio, "[t]hese books are created to literally reach the widest audience possible, and not just the comic book audience, but anyone who has ever wanted to read or see anything about Superman or Batman."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: An alternate Barbara Gordon was adapted into Frank Miller's "All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder" (2005) as a teenage Batgirl. In addition, another variation of the character had been set to star in an eponymous "All Star Batgirl" title, written by Geoff Johns; however, the series was canceled prior to publication.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In "" #1 (Nov. 2014), set in an alternate future, a trio of Batgirls include Casandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, and newcomer Tiffany Fox—the daughter of Lucius Fox and the first African American character to be portrayed as Batgirl.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In 2015, DC began publishing "DC Bombshells", a title that places its characters in an alternate history primarily set during the 1930s and 1940s. In digital issue #42 (collected as print issue #14), Harley Quinn tells Pamela Isley about encountering "the Belle of the Bog", who appears to be a vampire version of Batgirl. "DC Comics Bombshells Annual" #1, published on 31 August 2016, reveals that Barbara Gourdon was a French fighter pilot during World War I. After she lost her boyfriend during the war, she traveled to Louisiana and did indeed become a vampire.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In the "Batman '89" miniseries (which takes place in an alternate continuity of the Tim Burton films), Barbara Gordon is a Sergeant in the GCPD and Harvey Dent's fiancée. She has a strained relationship with her father and works with Dent to bring Batman down as both see him as a threat. She turns on Dent after a freak accident disfigured his face and drove him to become a criminal and attempted to arrest him, but her efforts were thwarted by Catwoman. Following the deaths of both her father and Dent, she receives a posthumous package from Dent revealing Batman's secret identity and a letter from Catwoman offering her partnership to incriminate Batman and Gotham's power elite.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In the aftermath of "Batman: The Killing Joke", Barbara Gordon's paralysis has been the subject of debate, with arguments in favor of, and against, restoring her mobility. Writers, artists, editorial staff, and critics have spoken at great length about the nature of the subject, citing responses from the readership, issues of sexism, diversity, and representation, as well as other considerations that have impacted decisions regarding the character's portrayal.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Reacting to "The Killing Joke" and Barbara Gordon's later character development as Oracle in "Batman: Gotham Knights", Ray Tate, a reviewer at Comics Bulletin, wrote "[t]here is absolutely no reason why Barbara Gordon should be in a wheelchair. Alan Moore and Brian Bolland meant" The Killing Joke" as an imaginary tale dealing with the iconography of Batman and the Joker ... [Batman] himself is a certifiable genius in biochemistry. There are countless examples of Batman employing that which is only theoretical in his fight against crime. His knowledge of stem cell technology should surpass that of the real world. There is simply no reason for Barbara Gordon to be confined to that wheelchair." Regarding her representation as a character living with a disability, and her effectiveness as a hero compared to her incarnation as Batgirl, Tate asserts "[i]t's ridiculous to think somebody wakes up thinking how lucky they are to be confined to a wheelchair, and yet the attitude around DC and among the fans is that Oracle is the better character over Batgirl because of her handicap. Rubbish. Batgirl has fought more crime and done more to aid Batman as Batgirl than she has as Oracle. Batgirl has saved Batman's life on numerous occasions. Oracle has not. Barbara in this incarnation is not a bad character, but she is not better because she no longer hunts the night in cape and cowl." In an article for "Bitch" magazine entitled "The Cold Shoulder: Saving Superheroines from Comic-book Violence", Shannon Cochran noted a long history of inequality regarding the treatment of female heroes. She quotes Gail Simone, who discussed the gender difference in the treatment of Batman and Batgirl regarding paralysis: "Both had their backs broken [Batman broke his in a dramatic Batcave confrontation with the villain Bane; Batgirl broke hers when she was ambushed in her home and shot in the spine by the Joker, never given a chance to fight]. Less than a year later, Batman was fine. Batgirl—now named Oracle—was in a wheelchair and remained so for many years."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Artist Alex Ross and writer/producer Paul Dini made attempts to return the character to her original conception. Ross explained in an interview that he and Dini had planned to restore her mobility by placing her in a Lazarus Pit, a naturally occurring chemical pool in the DC Universe that has rejuvenating effects when a person is submerged within it. He stated that "we pitched then-Batman editor Denny O'Neil with these drawings of that costume design. The idea of using the red instead of the traditional yellow was meant to invoke the idea that coming from the Lazarus Pit, she was in a way, more compromised as a character ... Denny shot it down, because, according to him, everybody loves Barbara Gordon as Oracle and as a handicapped character. The theory was that DC didn't have enough handicapped characters, so they weren't going to do anything with Barbara as she was. And the design went into the drawer." Kate Kane, the modern Batwoman introduced during "52", wears a variation of what would have been Gordon's new Batgirl costume designed by Ross.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Although critical reception of Barbara Gordon's evolution into Oracle has been mixed among critics and other observers, according to John Ostrander: "We have, over the years, on those occasions when I have worked with the character, gotten some letters from those who have disabilities of one stripe or another and all have been very supportive. I feel very proud for my part in creating Oracle." Supporters of Oracle argue that the Barbara Gordon character provides a greater service to DC Comics and its readers as a disabled character, regardless of the events that caused her paralysis. In her persona as Oracle, Barbara Gordon is not limited to the Batman Family, serving a unique and universal role in the DC universe. DC Senior Vice President Dan DiDio comments, "Some stories ... are so strong that undoing them would be a crime. The DCU would be a lesser place without Barry's sacrifice or the crippling of Barbara at the hands of the Joker."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: The character went through possible restoration during "Birds of Prey" when she is infected with microscopic machines known as nanites by the supervillain Brainiac, which attempted to repair her DNA. Marc Dipaolo, author of "War, Politics and Superheroes: Ethics and Propaganda in Comics and Film" (2011) commented that DC writers and editors would not allow her to recover completely, and that "[t]he decision was made because there were not enough handicapped superheroes in the DC Universe to justify 'curing' one, and because it would have been odd to see Barbara Gordon escape from her wheelchair in the world of fiction when Christopher Reeve never had that opportunity."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In June 2011, DC announced that Barbara Gordon would be returning to the role of Batgirl in September 2011, in her own eponymous monthly comic, as part of a company-wide relaunch of all of their titles. In addition, former "Birds of Prey" writer Gail Simone would be writing the series. This announcement became one of the most controversial aspects of the DC Comics relaunch. Supporters of Barbara Gordon in her persona as Oracle expressed dismay over losing an iconic character for the disabled community. Journalist and blogger Jill Pantozzi, who is diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, stated that "people being disabled is part of the real world, it is essential it be part of the fictional world as well... Writer Kevin Van Hook did a great job showing what disabled individuals have to go through in the mini-series Oracle: The Cure. It's that type of honesty I expect more of ... While some diverse characters were mishandled over the years, Oracle was always treated with the utmost respect but this move is the most disrespectful I've seen in a long time." Gail Simone responded directly by stating that at times when others had attempted to restore Gordon's mobility, she fought to keep her as a disabled character, even in light of requests from readers who also had disabilities that wished to see the character healed. However, part of her reasoning for reversing her decision and writing "Batgirl" with Gordon as the title character was that "[a]rms and legs get ripped off, and they grow back, somehow. Graves don't stay filled. But the one constant is that Barbara stays in that chair. Role model or not, that is problematic and uncomfortable, and the excuses to not cure her, in a world of purple rays and magic and super-science, are often unconvincing or wholly meta-textual. And the longer it goes on, the more it has stretched credibility. But now, everything has changed. If nearly everyone in the DCU, not just Batgirl but almost everyone, is now at a much earlier stage in their career, then my main objection no longer applies, because we are seeing Barbara at an earlier starting point."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Former Batman writer and editor Dennis O'Neil and Oracle co-creator John Ostrander have expressed disappointment over the change. O'Neil stated that during his tenure at DC, "[W]e had hordes of people in spandex beating up criminals ... We didn't have anybody like Oracle, who overcame a disability and was just as valuable and just as effective in a way that didn't involve violence." However, he also stated that from an alternate point of view, "Barbara Gordon's perception in the mainstream public as Batgirl would be a very valid consideration." Ostrander continues to view Oracle as a stronger character than Batgirl but has also expressed faith in Gail Simone's skills as a writer. He commented that "[t]imes change and characters and people evolve. I changed things when I wrote characters, including changing Barbara to Oracle. Others do the same for this era ... Gail Simone is a good friend and a wonderful writer and I'm sure her work will be wonderful."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: At the time of her conception, Barbara Gordon's character was intended to reflect the women's liberation movement as an educated, career-oriented young woman, as well as a capable crimefighter. Batgirl is considered to be one of the most popular characters to have emerged during the Silver Age of Comic Books. In "The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines" (2009), author Mike Madrid states: "While she embodied the spirit of a new wave of liberated superheroines, in the backdrop of the history of comic books, Batgirl carried on the tradition of the gutsy female vigilantes of the '40s who struck out on their own to right wrongs." Although she is discouraged by Batman to engage in crime-fighting, she defiantly ignores his objections. Her career choice as a librarian is speculated to be due in part to the fact that it works as a convincing cover for her much more dangerous work as Batgirl. To conceal her identity from not only her enemies, but her father, Commissioner Gordon, and Batman and Robin, she initially conforms to appearance and personality traits stereotypical of a librarian. In her civilian identity, she is seen with her hair "tied up tightly in a bun. And she wears traditionally conservative—not to say dowdy—clothing. In other words, she embodies the stereotypical image of the female librarian of the day—busy doing clerical tasks while attired and made up in such a way as to guarantee to minimize whatever physical attractiveness she might possess beneath her frumpy exterior." Although her introduction was intended to embody feminist ideology, aspects of her persona were also considered to be sexist, such as the fact that "[m]uch of her arsenal was carried in a Bat-purse attached to her utility belt[.]"


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Despite shortcomings in her characterization during the late 1960s, "by the early 1970s, Batgirl had matured, using her keen intellect, athletic dexterity, and burgeoning detective skills to solve petty and not-so-petty thefts". Her color scheme from the " Adventures of Batman" cartoon is used as her primary outfit. However, by the end of the Bronze Age of Comic Books in the mid-1980s (and with the dark, gritty influence of Frank Miller's work on the Batman-related titles), Batgirl became less valuable to the franchise "where there was not as much room for a librarian fighting crime in high heels". In this environment, Barbara Gordon becomes increasingly skeptical of her effectiveness as Batgirl until she decides to give up crime-fighting permanently.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Robin Anne Reid, in her 2008 book, "Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy: Overviews" notes a lack of characterization given to Barbara Gordon by Alan Moore in "Batman: The Killing Joke", stating, "Barbara Gordon was not portrayed as the intelligent and resourceful woman who assumed the Batgirl persona; she was portrayed as a cocoa-serving homemaker overly concerned with the mess her father was making cutting and pasting news clippings." Following the character's recreation as Oracle, she is shown having overcome her paralysis at the hands of the Joker by utilizing her intellect to once again engage in crime-fighting as an information broker. Speaking on her characterization as a person living with a disability, comic writer Devin Grayson stated that being "[h]yper-defensive about her [paralysis], she has, if anything, overcompensated. However, her very determination to remain self-reliant, though admirable and inspiring, has made her less willing than ever to accept support or aid of any kind."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: A defining characteristic of Barbara Gordon is her sense of morality, which differs from that of Batman and her primary field agent Black Canary. She has demonstrated a willingness to use lethal force, such as in Chuck Dixon's "Birds of Prey" issue #10, "State of War", which contradicts the methodology used by her closest allies and most DC Comics characters. Dixon stated in an interview that "[s]he's less morally conflicted than other characters. She's very 'means to an end' oriented. She sees that sometimes you have to kill to save lives. She's not comfortable with that but accepts it. She would do anything to avoid using deadly force but, when push comes to shove, she'll drop the hammer." She demonstrates a similar moral ambiguity in Gail Simone's "Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds" when she argues with Black Canary over using illegally obtained information, which denies criminals the right of due process. Although the Huntress has never been opposed to using lethal force, she also comes into conflict with Oracle over the fact that she will use the psychological impact of a mission to subconsciously manipulate her field agents into conforming to her ideology.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: As part of DC Comics' 2011 relaunch, "The New 52", Barbara Gordon's paralysis is described as lasting only three years. In "Batgirl" (volume 4), the character's age is reduced, and she is depicted as a recent college graduate, having earned a degree in forensic psychology. Although she resumes her work as Batgirl one year after recovering her mobility, she continues to have posttraumatic stress disorder, causing her to hesitate in battle when exposed to gunfire that could result in receiving new spinal damage. The character also exhibits survivor guilt because she has made a full recovery from her paralysis while others have not. In a September 2011 interview, Gail Simone stated, "I'm enjoying writing Batgirl at this stage in her life. She's younger, she doesn't know everything, she's been immersed in school and her life plan. Events conspire to change that plan, and she's nervous about that. I love writing Barbara under pretty much any conditions, but this really is a key time for her."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In Batgirl #45, Barbara Gordon began a romantic relationship with Luke Fox, the son of Lucius Fox and the new Batwing. Some of the character's background and previous relationships were erased. According to the artist of the new Batgirl series, Babs Tarr, Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson were never romantically involved in the New 52 continuity.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: For DC's 2016 "DC Rebirth" launch, Barbara Gordon headlines two monthly series: "Batgirl" (vol. 5) and "Batgirl and the Birds of Prey". "Batgirl" (vol. 5), which is written by Hope Larson and illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque, begins with Barbara touring Asia to train with Eastern fighters. "Batgirl and the Birds of Prey", which is written by Julie and Shawna Benson, and is illustrated by Claire Roe, reunites her with former teammates the Black Canary and the Huntress (Helena Bertinelli). The first arc of the series restores her prior history as "Oracle", as the team works to track down an impostor using the alias. In the "DC Rebirth" continuity, Barbara continues to operate in Burnside after training in Asia. She also shows a renewed romantic interest in Dick Grayson, but is unsuccessful due to him already being in a relationship.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: At the conclusion of the Joker War story arc (which spanned several Batfamily titles), Barbara Gordon appears to take a break as Batgirl and, for now, shift more to working tech support again as Oracle. Many critics and fans have expressed interest in having Barbara as both Batgirl and Oracle, since she's capable of doing both. "Batman & the Outsiders" Issue 17 and "The Joker War Zone" indicate that Cassandra Cain (aka Orphan) and Stephanie Brown (aka Spoiler) will both be Batgirls again.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: According to the character's fictional biography, Barbara Gordon trained in Boxing, Capoeira, Judo, Kung Fu, Eskrima, Karate, Kickboxing, Jujutsu, Muay Thai, and Taekwondo earning black belts prior to her tenure as Batgirl and is described as being a "star athlete." Following the events of "The Killing Joke", Barbara Gordon continued to train in martial arts as Oracle, despite being paralyzed from the waist down. She has extensive skills with eskrima fighting sticks, small firearms, and batarangs; she customarily keeps a pair of eskrima sticks stored in the armrests of her wheelchair as a contingency. In the revised continuity of "The New 52", she reflects on the fact that she has been taking self-defense training since age 6 in "Batgirl" #0 (2012).


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Gordon is written as having a genius-level intellect and naturally possessing a photographic memory. She is described by Gail Simone as the most intelligent member of the Batman family and among all characters having operated out of Gotham City. Prior to the character's career as a vigilante, Barbara Gordon developed many technological skills, including vast knowledge of computers and electronics, expert skills as a hacker, and graduate training in library sciences. Like Batman, Barbara Gordon originally used a wide variety of computer electronics and gadgets during her early adventures as Batgirl. These included an infrared scanner built into the cowl of her costume, various bat-inspired weaponry, and the Batcycle. According to Gail Simone, Oracle maintains control over the 12 technologically advanced satellites that were created by Lex Luthor during his tenure as President of the United States.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: As Oracle, Barbara Gordon placed her considerable skills and knowledge at the disposal of many of the DC Universe's heroes. She is a skilled hacker, capable of retrieving and dispersing information from private satellites, military installations, government files, and the properties of Lex Luthor. Batman, himself a genius with a wide knowledge base and access to vast information resources, routinely consults Oracle for assistance. Writer and editor Dennis O'Neil, who first established Oracle as Batman's intellectual equal and source of information, stated that "[i]t was logical for her to be there in Batman's world ... Batman would need someone like that."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Since her debut in the DC Comics publication, and fueled by her adaptation into the "Batman" television series in 1967, Barbara Gordon has been listed among fictional characters that are regarded as cultural icons. Author Brian Cronin, in "Was Superman A Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed" (2009) notes that following her 1967 debut, "Batgirl was soon popular enough to appear regularly over the next two decades and Yvonne Craig certainly made an impression on many viewers with her one season portraying young Ms. Gordon." Similarly, Cronin states that following the publication of "The Killing Joke", Barbara Gordon—in her new persona as Oracle—became "more popular, in fact, than she was when she was Batgirl. She even gained her own title, Birds of Prey, about her and a group of superhero operatives she organizes[.]" The character has been the subject of analysis in academia, regarding the portrayal of women, librarians, and disabled people in mainstream media. Throughout the character's history, Barbara Gordon's intelligence has been one of her defining attributes. According to "BusinessWeek", she is listed as one of the top ten most intelligent fictional superheroes appearing in American comics and is the only female character to appear on the list. In 2011, Barbara Gordon was ranked 17th in both IGN's "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" and "Comics Buyer's Guide"s "100 Sexiest Women in Comics".


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In "The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines" (2009), author Mike Madrid states that what set Barbara Gordon as Batgirl apart from other female characters was her motivation for crime-fighting. Unlike Batwoman who preceded her, "she wears his symbol on her chest, but she is not his girlfriend or faithful handmaiden." Because she does not pursue a romantic interest in Batman, "Batgirl is a female Batman can actually regard as a brilliant peer and a partner in the war on crime, the same way he would a male." Historian Peter Sanderson observed that while "Barbara Gordon initially conformed to hackneyed stereotypes as a dowdy librarian ... her transformation into Batgirl could be seen in retrospect as a symbol of the emerging female empowerment movement of the 1960s. (Moreover, by the 1970s Barbara had given herself a makeover even in her 'civilian identity and ran for Congress.)"


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In the 1980s, Barbara Kesel, after writing a complaint to DC Comics over the negative portrayal of female characters, was allowed to write for Barbara Gordon in "Detective Comics". Robin Anne Reid, in "Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy: Overviews" (2009), wrote that "Kesel's version of Batgirl established her as a character separate from Batman and Robin: a woman motivated to do what men do, but alone and in her own way. Her "Secret Origins" (1987) and "Batgirl Special" (1988) countered the victimized and objectified presentation of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in Alan Moore's acclaimed "The Killing Joke" (1988)." She notes that Kesel's interpretation of the character emphasized her intelligence, technological skill, and ability to overcome fear. Commenting on Barbara Gordon's eventual evolution into Oracle, she states "[m]any readers and individuals within the industry believe that Barbara Gordon became a 'better' character after she was paralyzed, but few people comment on specifics of the event that allowed her to become that 'better' character."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In "Superheroes and Superegos: Analyzing the Minds Behind the Masks" (2010), author Sharon Packer wrote that "[a]nyone who feels that feminist critics overreacted to [Gordon's] accident is advised to consult the source material", calling the work "sadistic to the core." Brian Cronin noted that "[many] readers felt the violence towards Barbara Gordon was too much, and even Moore, in retrospect, has expressed his displeasure with how the story turned out." Jeffrey A. Brown, author of "Dangerous Curves: Action Heroines, Gender, Fetishism, and Popular Culture" (2011) noted "The Killing Joke" as an example of the "inherent misogyny of the male-dominated comic book industry" in light of the "relatively unequal violence [female characters] are subjected to." While male characters may be critically injured or killed, they are more than likely to be returned to their original conception, while female characters are more likely to receive permanent damage. Reid states that although speculation behind the editorial decision to allow the paralysis of the character to become permanent included the idea she had become outdated, "if audiences had grown tired of Batgirl, it was not because she was a bad character but because she had been written badly."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Despite views that present the character's Batgirl persona as a symbol of female empowerment, a long-held criticism is that she was originally conceived as an uninspired variation of Batman "rather than standing alone as a leader, such as Wonder Woman" who had no pre-existing male counterpart. In analyzing stereotypes in gender, Jackie Marsh noted that male superheroes (such as Batman) are depicted as hyper-masculine and anti-social, "while female superheroes are reduced to a childlike status by their names" such as the Batgirl character. Professor James B. South, chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Marquette University, stated that Barbara Gordon's character development as Oracle gave her a sense of independence she could not achieve as Batgirl. During her tenure as Batman's protege, "she seems to develop her own style of fighting as Batgirl, [but] she's still basically following in Batman's footsteps." Following "The Killing Joke", her recreation as Oracle, and the launch of "Birds of Prey", "we see Barbara Gordon as a team leader and her transformation from a girl into a woman."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In "The Image and Role of the Librarian" (2002), Wendi Arant and Candace R. Benefiel argue that her portrayal as a librarian is considered to be significant to the profession, in that it is represented as a valuable and honorable career. Even because the character abandons it to run for United States Congress, Barbara Gordon is seen as being given a "career switch that even most librarians would consider a step up." In the essay "Librarians, Professionalism and Image: Stereotype and Reality" (2007), Abigail Luthmann views the character less favorably, stating that "[t]he unassuming role of librarian is used as a low-visibility disguise for her crime-fighting alter-ego, and while her information-locating skills may have been useful to her extra-curricular activities no direct examples are given." Unlike her earlier incarnation as Batgirl, "[a]s Oracle, Barbara Gordon is arguably the first true librarian-as-super-hero yet seen in a mainstream comic book (as opposed to a super-hero who happens to be a librarian in his/her private life)." Wendi Arant and Candace R. Benefiel note that Oracle exerts her influence over the DC Universe primarily from home, putting "to full use the information science skills [she] learned on her way to her PhD" In her new persona, "the physically challenged but superbly resourceful Oracle occupies a unique place in the annals of superhero-dom—the 'information goddess' as crime-stopper." Using Barbara Gordon in her role as Oracle, author Sean Wise asserts her character as a model for business networking. In "How to Be a Business Superhero: Prepare for Everything, Train with the Best, Make Your Own Destiny at Work" (2008) he states that "[o]ver the last decade, Oracle has shown the power of a strong network of contacts, and in doing so she shows Business Superheroes the importance of cultivating contacts and developing assets that can further their collective goals."


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Over the years, the American Library Association and DC Comics have collaborated on multiple projects to promote literacy. These efforts frequently involve Barbara Gordon. In 2004, artist Gene Ha created a poster and bookmark that depicted Barbara Gordon walking in a library. Her Batgirl costume appears in a window's reflection. The tagline "Librarians are heroes every day!" appears at the bottom of the poster and bookmark. In 2009, a poster featured Barbara Gordon as the Oracle alongside Batman, Nightwing, Robin, the Cassandra Cain version of Batgirl, and Huntress. In 2015, the ALA and DC Comics collaborated on a new set of posters and bookmarks in the ALA's "READ" campaign. By herself, Barbara Gordon appears in the "Batgirl of Burnside" guise as envisioned by Babs Tarr. In another design, she appears as the Oracle alongside other members of the extended Bat Family.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Following the character's reinvention as the information broker Oracle, she has been regarded as a symbol of empowerment for disabled people. In "Unleashing the Superhero in Us All" (2008), author T. James Musler notes that "[f]or quite some time, any handicap was considered insurmountable" citing Franklin D. Roosevelt as an example, who was never photographed in a wheelchair to avoid a perception of weakness. About Barbara Gordon, he states "[r]ather than quitting crime-fighting, Barbara combines her intellect and computer skills to help the superhero community by gathering and passing along information." Her character thus signifies that "[n]o longer is a handicap overwhelming, a person can live a strong good life, handicap or not." In "The Superhero Book: The Ultimate Encyclopedia Of Comic-Book Icons And Hollywood Heroes" (2004), author Gina Renée Misiroglu observes that while disabled characters in comic books are typically utilized as gimmicks, or—as with Charles Xavier and Daredevil—are introduced with a pre-existing condition as part of their origin myth, "[a]s Oracle... Gordon stands tall as the most empowering disabled superhero. Readers witnessed her tragedy, and watched her rise above it." James B. South's chapter "Barbara Gordon and Moral Perfectionism" in the 2004 book "Superheroes and Philosophy" analyzes how the changes in her life "from librarian to Batgirl to Oracle" drive her to pursue a higher self, illustrating the philosophical theory of moral perfectionism.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: After the character was introduced in "Detective Comics" #359 in January 1967, at the request of the producers of the 1960s "Batman" television series, she was introduced into the television seriesportrayed by Yvonne Craigin the season 3 premiere "Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin", in September that same year.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Les Daniels, in "Batman: The Complete History" (2004), wrote that the goal of ABC was to "attract new audience members, especially idealistic young girls and less high-minded older men." According to Craig: "I used to think the reason they hired me was because they knew I could ride my own motorcycle ... I realized they hired me because I had a cartoon voice." A shared criticism of Batgirl and other female superheroes portrayed later on television (such as Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman), is that she was not allowed to engage in hand-to-hand combat on screen. As such, "her fights were choreographed carefully to imitate the moves of a Broadway showgirl through the use of a straight kick to her opponent's face rather than the type of kick a martial artist would use." However, Craig has also stated: "I meet young women who say Batgirl was their role model ... They say it's because it was the first time they ever felt girls could do the same things guys could do, and sometimes better. I think that's lovely." During the early 1970s, Craig portrayed Batgirl once again in a public service announcement to advocate equal pay for women. Since "Batman", the character has had a long history of appearances in television and other media. As Batgirl, Barbara Gordon plays a supporting role in a string of animated series, voiced by Jane Webb in "The Batman/Superman Hour" (1968), Melendy Britt in "The New Adventures of Batman" (1977), Melissa Gilbert in "" (1992), Tara Strong in "The New Batman Adventures" (1997) and "Beware the Batman" (2013), Danielle Judovits in "The Batman" (2004), Mae Whitman in "" (2008) and Alyson Stoner in "Young Justice" (2011). "The Batman" series also showcased the character's first animated adaptation as Oracle, voiced by Kellie Martin in the episode "Artifacts" (2007). She also appears in "DC Super Hero Girls" voiced by Mae Whitman in season 1 as Barbara Gordon and season 2 as Batgirl. Other variations of the character that have been adapted into other media include an elderly Barbara Gordon, voiced by Stockard Channing and Angie Harmon in 1999's "Batman Beyond", who after retiring as Batgirl, became commissioner of the Gotham City police department.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Dina Meyer starred as Barbara Gordon in the television series "Birds of Prey" (2002). It became the first adaptation to show the character's progression from Batgirl to Oracle, which included her paralysis at the hands of the Joker. Meyer commented on her character's complex history stating: "She's multidimensional. She was a former superhero. She was extremely active physically for years, fighting alongside Batman. The unfortunate incident with the Joker took away the use of her legs ... but rather than give up and throw in the towel, as she could've done so easily, she went and studied escrima (a martial art), got stronger in her mental state and, while helping out her father on a case one day, realized she had a knack for solving mysteries. And all of a sudden she became this computer genius." Overall, the series received criticism for its emphasis on aesthetics over plot. It aired for one season before receiving cancellation. In the fourth season of the TV series "Arrow", after Felicity Smoak had a similar paralyzing injury, Oliver Queen gives her the codename Overwatch while commenting that "Oracle" was taken. Although in the comic books Barbara Gordon was never a member of the Teen Titans, she was slated to appear in the live-action "Titans" series, when originally proposed for TNT. This version of the character was to be a wheelchair-using computer expert, but not yet be known as Oracle. This series was subsequently redeveloped for DC Universe without the character. Barbara made her debut in the third season with Savannah Welch. The series depicted her as the Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department and retired from her Batgirl persona after being paralyzed by the Joker.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In addition to live-action television and animation, the character has appeared in several video games included in the Batman franchise. She appears in "The Adventures of Batman & Robin", "", "" and "" voiced by Tara Strong. She is also in "" for the first time as Oracle. She also appears in "" for the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, and PlayStation Portable. She plays a supporting role as Oracle in "" for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, serving as Batman's guide through Arkham, and is voiced by Kimberly Brooks. She also appears as the radio guide alongside Alfred Pennyworth, as they both serve as Batman's guides in the sequel, "". A teenage Barbara also appears in the prequel "", voiced by Kelsey Lansdowne. In the 2008 live-action film, "The Dark Knight", a very young Barbara Gordon is depicted. She is credited as "Gordon's Daughter", while the name "Barbara Gordon" is reserved for Commissioner Gordon's wife. She also acts as the primary contact for hero characters as Oracle in "DC Universe Online", voiced by Katherine Catmull for the PC and the PlayStation 3. She assists the player through the tutorial and will offer comments and advice throughout the game including a guided tour of the JLA Watchtower. She is a playable character in "", with Kimberly Brooks reprising her role. Barbara has returned in "" where she is voiced by Ashley Greene. In addition, Barbara also appears as a playable character as part of the game's season pass.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Barbara Gordon appears in the 2017 animated film "The Lego Batman Movie" voiced by Rosario Dawson. She is introduced taking over from her father Jim Gordon to become the new Police Commissioner of Gotham. This allows for the continuation of still having a 'Commissioner Gordon' and gives a more prominent role to the character. She later dons her cowl and teams up with Batman as Batgirl in addition to her role as Commissioner. In March 2017, it was announced that Joss Whedon was in talks to write, direct and produce a Batgirl film as part of the DC Extended Universe. The film would center on Barbara Gordon, with The New 52 comics by Gail Simone serving as "a starting point" for the film. Whedon was to begin production on the film in 2018, but stepped down in February 2018. In April 2018, after impressing the studio with her work on the forthcoming film "Birds of Prey", Christina Hodson was hired as screenwriter for "Batgirl" as well. The studio is actively looking for a female director.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: In the final season of "Gotham", Barbara Lee Gordon is shown as the baby of Jim Gordon and his ex-fiancée Barbara Kean, named by the latter both after herself and after Jim's wife Dr. Lee Thompkins. Her parents share custody of her. She appears in the final episode portrayed by Jeté Laurence, where she is taken hostage as the debut action of the new Joker, Gordon's attempt to save her being assisted by the new Batman.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Barbara Gordon appears in "Harley Quinn" as a college student in the second-season episode "Riddle U" where she helps Harley and Poison Ivy take down the Riddler and is seen making her own Batgirl costume.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: She's portrayed by Savannah Welch in the third season of the HBO Max series "Titans", where she's depicted as the commissioner of the Gotham City Police.


title: Barbara Gordon

text: Leslie Grace was slated to portray Barbara Gordon as Batgirl in what would have been her live-action solo film and DCEU debut, "Batgirl", which was planned to premiere exclusively on HBO Max but was cancelled in August 2022.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designated in one or other of the categories. For much of the period of British rule in the Indian subcontinent, they were known as the Depressed Classes.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: In modern literature, the "Scheduled Castes" are sometimes referred to as Dalit, meaning "broken" or "dispersed", having been popularised by B. R. Ambedkar (1891–1956), a Dalit himself, an economist, reformer, chairman of the Constituent Assembly of India, and Dalit leader during the independence struggle. Ambedkar preferred the term Dalit to Gandhi's term, Harijan, meaning "person of Hari/Vishnu" (or Man of God). In September 2018, the government "issued an advisory to all private satellite channels asking them to 'refrain' from using the nomenclature 'Dalit'", though "rights groups and intellectuals have come out against any shift from 'Dalit' in popular usage".


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes comprise about 16.6% and 8.6%, respectively, of India's population (according to the 2011 census). The "Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950" lists 1,108 castes across 28 states in its First Schedule, and the "Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950" lists 744 tribes across 22 states in its First Schedule.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: Since the independence of India, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were given Reservation status, guaranteeing political representation, preference in promotion, quota in universities, free and stipended education, scholarships, banking services, various government schemes and the Constitution lays down the general principles of positive discrimination for SCs and STs.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: The evolution of Lower caste to modern-day Scheduled Castes is complex. The caste system as a stratification of classes in India originated about 2,000 years ago, and has been influenced by dynasties and ruling elites, including the Mughal Empire and the British Raj. The Hindu concept of Varna historically incorporated occupation-based communities. Some low-caste groups, such as those formerly called "untouchables" who constitute modern-day Scheduled Castes, were considered outside the Varna system.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: Since the 1850s, these communities were loosely referred to as Depressed Classes, with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.The early 20th century saw a flurry of activity in the British authorities assessing the feasibility of responsible self-government for India. The Morley–Minto Reforms Report, Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms Report and the Simon Commission were several initiatives in this context. A highly contested issue in the proposed reforms was the reservation of seats for representation of the Depressed Classes in provincial and central legislatures.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: In 1935, the UK Parliament passed the Government of India Act 1935, designed to give Indian provinces greater self-rule and set up a national federal structure. The reservation of seats for the Depressed Classes was incorporated into the act, which came into force in 1937. The Act introduced the term "Scheduled Castes", defining the group as "such castes, parts of groups within castes, which appear to His Majesty in Council to correspond to the classes of persons formerly known as the 'Depressed Classes', as His Majesty in Council may prefer". This discretionary definition was clarified in "The Government of India (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1936", which contained a list (or Schedule) of castes throughout the British-administered provinces.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: After independence the Constituent Assembly continued the prevailing definition of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, giving (via articles 341 and 342) the president of India and governors of the states a mandate to compile a full listing of castes and tribes (with the power to edit it later, as required). The complete list of castes and tribes was made via two orders: "The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950" and "The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950", respectively. Furthermore, independent India's quest for inclusivity was incident through the appointment of B. R. Ambedkar as the chair of the drafting committee for the Constitution. Ambedkar was a scheduled caste constitutional lawyer, a member of the low caste.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: To effectively implement the safeguards built into the Constitution and other legislation, the Constitution under Articles 338 and 338A provides for two constitutional commissions: the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. The chairpersons of both commissions sit "ex officio" on the National Human Rights Commission.Scheduled Castes in India.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: In the original Constitution, Article 338 provided for a special officer (the Commissioner for SCs and STs) responsible for monitoring the implementation of constitutional and legislative safeguards for SCs and STs and reporting to the president. Seventeen regional offices of the Commissioner were established throughout the country.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: There was an initiative to replace the Commissioner with a committee in the 48th Amendment to the Constitution, changing Article 338. While the amendment was being debated, the Ministry of Welfare established the first committee for SCs and STs (with the functions of the Commissioner) in August 1978. These functions were modified in September 1987 to include advising the government on broad policy issues and the development levels of SCs and STs. Now it is included in Article 342.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: In 1990, Article 338 was amended for the National Commission for SCs and STs with the "Constitution (Sixty fifth Amendment) Bill, 1990". The first commission under the 65th Amendment was constituted in March 1992, replacing the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the commission established by the Ministry of Welfare's Resolution of 1989. In 2003, the Constitution was again amended to divide the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes into two commissions: the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. Due to the spread of Christianity and Islam among schedule caste community converted are not protected as castes under Indian Reservation policy. Hence, these societies usually forge their community certificate as Hindus and practice Christianity or Islam afraid for their loss of reservation.


title: Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

text: The Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) of 1979 mandated a planning process for the social, economic and educational development of Scheduled Castes and improvement in their working and living conditions. It was an umbrella strategy, ensuring the flow of targeted financial and physical benefits from the general sector of development to the Scheduled Castes. It entailed a targeted flow of funds and associated benefits from the annual plan of states and Union Territories (UTs) in at least a proportion to the national SC population. Twenty-seven states and UTs with sizable SC populations are implementing the plan. Although the Scheduled Castes population according to the 2001 Census was 16.66 crores (16.23% of the total population), the allocations made through SCSP have been lower than the proportional population. A strange factor has emerged of extremely lowered fertility of scheduled castes in Kerala, due to land reform, migrating (Kerala Gulf diaspora) and democratization of education.


title: Corvidae

text: Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. In colloquial English, they are known as the crow family or corvids. Currently, 133 species are included in this family. The genus "Corvus", including the jackdaws, crows, rooks, and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family. Corvids (ravens) are the largest passerines.


title: Corvidae

text: Corvids display remarkable intelligence for animals of their size, and are among the most intelligent birds thus far studied. Specifically, members of the family have demonstrated self-awareness in mirror tests (European magpies) and tool-making ability (e.g. crows and rooks), skills which until recently were thought to be possessed only by humans and a few other higher mammals. Their total brain-to-body mass ratio is equal to that of non-human great apes and cetaceans, and only slightly lower than that of humans.


title: Corvidae

text: They are medium to large in size, with strong feet and bills, rictal bristles, and a single moult each year (most passerines moult twice). Corvids are found worldwide, except for the southern tip of South America and the polar ice caps. The majority of the species are found in tropical South and Central America and in southern Asia, with fewer than 10 species each in Africa and Australasia. The genus "Corvus" has re-entered Australia in relatively recent geological prehistory, with five species and one subspecies there. Several species of raven have reached oceanic islands, and some of these species are now highly threatened with extinction, or have already become extinct.


title: Corvidae

text: The name Corvidae for the family was introduced by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1820. Over the years, much disagreement has arisen on the exact evolutionary relationships of the corvid family and their relatives. What eventually seemed clear was that corvids are derived from Australasian ancestors, and spread throughout the world from there. Other lineages derived from these ancestors evolved into ecologically diverse, but often Australasian, groups. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Sibley and Ahlquist united the corvids with other taxa in the Corvida, based on DNA–DNA hybridization. The presumed corvid relatives included: currawongs, birds of paradise, whipbirds, quail-thrushes, whistlers, monarch flycatchers and drongos, shrikes, vireos, and vangas, but current research favors the theory that this grouping is partly artificial. The corvids constitute the core group of the Corvoidea, together with their closest relatives (the birds of paradise, Australian mud-nesters, and shrikes). They are also the core group of the Corvida, which includes the related groups, such as Old World orioles and vireos.


title: Corvidae

text: Clarification of the interrelationships of the corvids has been achieved based on cladistic analysis of several DNA sequences. The jays and magpies do not constitute monophyletic lineages, but rather seem to split up into an American and Old World lineage, and an Holarctic and Oriental lineage, respectively. These are not closely related among each other. The position of the azure-winged magpie, which has always been of undistinguished lineage, is less clear than previously thought.


title: Corvidae

text: The crested jayshrike ("Platylophus galericulatus") is traditionally included in the Corvidae, but is not a true member of this family, being closer to the helmetshrikes (Malaconotidae) or shrikes (Laniidae). Likewise, the Hume's ground "jay" ("Pseudopodoces humilis") is, in fact, a member of the tit family, Paridae. The following tree represents current insights in the phylogeny of the Crow family, according to J. Boyd:


title: Corvidae

text: The earliest corvid fossils date to mid-Miocene Europe, about 17 million years ago; "Miocorvus" and "Miopica" may be ancestral to crows and some of the magpie lineage, respectively, or similar to the living forms, due to convergent evolution. The known prehistoric corvid genera appear to be mainly of the New World and Old World jay and Holarctic magpie lineages:


title: Corvidae

text: In addition, there are numerous fossil species of extant genera since the Mio–Pliocene, mainly European "Corvus".


title: Corvidae

text: Corvids are large to very large passerines with a robust build and strong legs; all species, except the pinyon jay, have nostrils covered by bristle-like feathers. Many corvids of temperate zones have mainly black or blue coloured plumage; however, some are pied black and white, some have a blue-purple iridescence, and many tropical species are brightly coloured. The sexes are very similar in color and size. Corvids have strong, stout bills and large wingspans. The family includes the largest members of the passerine order.


title: Corvidae

text: The smallest corvid is the dwarf jay ("Aphelocoma nana"), at and . The largest corvids are the common raven ("Corvus corax") and the thick-billed raven ("Corvus crassirostris"), both of which regularly exceed and .


title: Corvidae

text: Species can be identified based on size, shape, and geography; however, some, especially the Australian crows, are best identified by their raucous calls.


title: Corvidae

text: Corvids occur in most climatic zones. Most are sedentary, and do not migrate significantly. However, during a shortage of food, irruptive migration can occur. When species are migratory, they will form large flocks in the fall (around August in the Northern Hemisphere) and travel south.


title: Corvidae

text: One reason for the success of crows, compared to ravens, is their ability to overlap breeding territory. During breeding season, crows were shown to overlap breeding territory six times as much as ravens. This invasion of breeding ranges allowed a related increase in local population density.


title: Corvidae

text: Since crows and magpies have benefited and even increased in numbers due to human development, it was suggested that this might cause increased rates of nest predation of smaller bird species, leading to declines. Several studies have shown this concern to be unfounded. One study examined American crows, which had increased in numbers, were a suspect in nest predation of threatened marbled murrelets. However, Steller's jays, which are successful independently of human development, are more efficient in plundering small birds' nests than American crows and common ravens. Therefore, the human relationship with crows and ravens did not significantly increase nest predation when compared to other factors, such as habitat destruction. Similarly, a study examining the decline of British songbirds found no link between Eurasian magpie numbers and population changes of 23 songbird species.


title: Corvidae

text: Some corvids have strong organization and community groups. Jackdaws, for example, have a strong social hierarchy, and are facultatively colonial during breeding. Providing mutual aid has also been recorded within many of the corvid species.


title: Corvidae

text: Young corvids have been known to play and take part in elaborate social games. Documented group games follow "king of the mountain" or "follow the leader" patterns. Other play involves the manipulation, passing, and balancing of sticks. Corvids also take part in other activities, such as sliding down smooth surfaces. These games are understood to play a large role in the adaptive and survival ability of the birds.


title: Corvidae

text: Mate selection is quite complex, and accompanied with much social play in the Corvidae. Youngsters of social corvid species undergo a series of tests, including aerobatic feats, before being accepted as a mate by the opposite sex.


title: Corvidae

text: Some corvids can be aggressive. Blue jays, for example, are well known to attack anything that threatens their nest. Crows have been known to attack dogs, cats, ravens, and birds of prey. Most of the time, these assaults take place as a distraction long enough to allow an opportunity for stealing food.


title: Corvidae

text: The natural diet of many corvid species is omnivorous, consisting of invertebrates, nestlings, small mammals, berries, fruits, seeds, and carrion. However, some corvids, especially the crows, have adapted well to human conditions, and have come to rely on human food sources. In a US study of American crows, common ravens, and Steller's jays around campgrounds and human settlements, the crows appeared to have the most diverse diet of all, taking anthropogenic foods, such as: bread, spaghetti, fried potatoes, dog food, sandwiches, and livestock feed. The increase in available human food sources is contributing to population rises in some corvid species.


title: Corvidae

text: Some corvids are predators of other birds. During the wintering months, corvids typically form foraging flocks. However, some crows also eat many agricultural pests, including cutworms, wireworms, grasshoppers, and harmful weeds. Some corvids will eat carrion, and since they lack a specialized beak for tearing into flesh, they must wait until animals are opened, whether by other predators or as roadkill.


title: Corvidae

text: Many species of corvid are territorial, protecting territories throughout the year, or simply during the breeding season. In some cases, territories may only be guarded during the day, with the pair joining off-territory roosts at night. Some corvids are well-known communal roosters. Some groups of roosting corvids can be very large, with a roost of 65,000 rooks counted in Scotland. Some, including the rook and the jackdaw, are also communal nesters.


title: Corvidae

text: The partner bond in corvids is extremely strong, and even lifelong in some species. This monogamous lifestyle, however, can still contain extra-pair copulations. Males and females build large nests together in trees or on ledges; jackdaws are known to breed in buildings and in rabbit warrens. The male will also feed the female during incubation. The nests are constructed of a mass of bulky twigs lined with grass and bark. Corvids can lay between 3 and 10 eggs, typically ranging between 4 and 7. The eggs are usually greenish in colour with brown blotches. Once hatched, the young remain in the nests for up to 6–10 weeks depending on the species.


title: Corvidae

text: Corvids use several different forms of parental care, including bi-parental care and cooperative breeding. Cooperative breeding takes place when parents are helped in raising their offspring, usually by relatives, but also sometimes by non-related adults. Such helpers at the nest in most cooperatively-breeding birds are males, while females join other groups. White-throated magpie-jays are cooperatively-breeding corvids where the helpers are mostly female.


title: Corvidae

text: Jerison (1973) has suggested that the degree of brain encephalization (the ratio of brain size to body size, EQ) may correlate with an animal's intelligence and cognitive skills. Corvids and psittacids have higher EQ than other bird families, similar to that of the apes. Among the Corvidae, ravens possess the largest brain to body size ratio. In addition to the high EQ, the Corvid's intelligence is boosted by their living environment. Firstly, Corvids are found in some of the harshest environments on Earth, where surviving requires higher intelligence and better adaptations. Secondly, most of the Corvids are omnivorous, suggesting that they are exposed to more different stimuli and environments. Furthermore, many corvid species live in a large family group, and demonstrate high social complexities.


title: Corvidae

text: Their intelligence is boosted by the long growing period of the young. By remaining with the parents, the young have more opportunities to learn necessary skills.


title: Corvidae

text: When compared to dogs and cats in an experiment testing the ability to seek out food according to three-dimensional clues, corvids out-performed the mammals. A meta-analysis testing how often birds invented new ways to acquire food in the wild found corvids to be the most innovative birds. A 2004 review suggested that their cognitive abilities are on par with those of non-human great apes. Despite structural differences, the brains of corvids and great apes both evolved the ability to make geometrical measurements.


title: Corvidae

text: Ravens are found to show bystander affiliation, and solicited bystander affiliation after aggressive conflicts. Most of the time, bystanders already sharing a valuable relationship with the victim are more likely to affiliate with the victim to alleviate the victim's distress ("consolation") as a representation of empathy. Ravens are believed to be able to be sensitive to other's emotions.


title: Corvidae

text: Emotion contagion refers to the emotional state matching between individuals. Adriaense et al. (2018) used a bias paradigm to quantify emotional valence, which along with emotional arousal, define emotions. They manipulated the positive and negative affective states in the demonstrator ravens, which showed significantly different responses to the two states: behaving pessimism to the negative states, and optimism to the positive states. Then, the researchers trained another observer raven to first observe the demonstrator's responses. The observer raven was then presented with ambiguous stimuli. The experiment results confirmed the existence of negative emotional contagions in ravens, while the positive emotional contagion remained unclear. Therefore, ravens are capable of both discerning the negative emotions in their conspecifics and showing signs of empathy.


title: Corvidae

text: Interspecific communications are evolutionarily beneficial for species living in the same environment. Facial expressions are the most widely used method to express emotions by humans. Tate et al. (2006) explored the issue of non-human mammals processing the visual cues from faces to achieve interspecific communication with humans. Researchers also examined the avian species' capabilities to interpret this non-verbal communication, and their extent of sensitivity to human emotions. Based on the experimental subject of American Crows' behavioral changes to varying human gazes and facial expressions, Clucas et al. (2013) identified that crows are able to change their behaviors to human emotions. They further suggested that the high intelligence of the crows enables them to adapt well to human-dominated environments.


title: Corvidae

text: It is considered difficult to study emotions in animals when humans could not communicate with them. One way to identify animal personality traits is to observe the consistency of the individual's behavior over time and circumstances. For group-living species, there are two opposing hypotheses regarding the assortment of personalities within a group: the social niche specialization hypothesis, and the conformity hypothesis. To test these two hypotheses, McCune et al. (2018) performed an experiment on the boldness of two species in Corvidae: the Mexican Jay and California Scrub-Jay. Their results confirmed the conformity hypothesis, supported by the significant differences in the group effects.


title: Corvidae

text: The individual personality is both determined by genetics and shaped by social contexts. Miller et al. (2016) examined the role of the developmental and social environment in personality formation in common ravens and carrion crows, which are highly social corvids. The researchers highlighted the correlation between social contexts and an individual's consistent behavior over time (personality), by showing that conspecific presence promoted the behavioral similarities between individuals. Therefore, the researchers demonstrated that social contexts had a significant impact on the development of the raven's and crow's personalities.


title: Corvidae

text: The social complexity hypothesis suggests that living in a social group enhances the cognitive abilities of animals. Corvid ingenuity is represented through their feeding skills, memorization abilities, use of tools, and group behaviour. Living in large social groups has long been connected with high cognitive ability. To live in a large group, a member must be able to recognize individuals, and track the social position and foraging of other members over time. Members must also be able to distinguish between sex, age, reproductive status, and dominance, and to update this information constantly. It might be that social complexity corresponds to their high cognition, as well as contributing to the spread of information between members of the group.


title: Corvidae

text: The Eurasian magpie is the only non-mammal species known to be able to recognize itself in a mirror test, although later research could not replicate this finding. Studies using very similar setups could not find such behaviour in other corvids (e.g., Carrion crows). Magpies have been observed taking part in elaborate grieving rituals, which have been likened to human funerals, including laying grass wreaths. Marc Bekoff, at the University of Colorado, argues that it shows that they are capable of feeling complex emotions, including grief. Furthermore, carrion crows show a neuronal response that correlates with their perception of a stimulus, which some scientists have argued to be an empirical marker of (avian/corvid) sensory consciousness—the conscious perception of sensory input—in the crows which do not have a cerebral cortex. A related study shows that the birds' pallium's neuroarchitecture is reminiscent of the mammalian cortex.


title: Corvidae

text: There are also specific examples of corvid cleverness. One carrion crow was documented cracking nuts by placing them on a crosswalk, letting the passing cars crack the shell, waiting for the light to turn red, and then safely retrieving the contents. A group of crows in England took turns lifting garbage bin lids while their companions collected food.


title: Corvidae

text: Members of the corvid family have been known to watch other birds, remember where they hide their food, then return once the owner leaves. Corvids also move their food around between hiding places to avoid thievery—but only if they have previously been thieves themselves (that is, they remember previous relevant social contexts, use their own experience of having been a thief to predict the behavior of a pilferer, and can determine the safest course to protect their caches from being pilfered). Studies to assess similar cognitive abilities in apes have been inconclusive.


title: Corvidae

text: The ability to hide food requires highly accurate spatial memories. Corvids have been recorded to recall their food's hiding places up to nine months later. It is suggested that vertical landmarks (like trees) are used to remember locations. There has also been evidence that California scrub jays, which store perishable foods, not only remember where they stored their food, but for how long. This has been compared to episodic memory, previously thought unique to humans.


title: Corvidae

text: New Caledonian crows ("Corvus moneduloides") are notable for their highly developed tool fabrication. They make angling tools of twigs and leaves trimmed into hooks, and then subsequently use the hooks to pull insect larvae from tree holes. Tools are engineered according to task, and apparently, also to learned preferences. Recent studies revealed abilities to solve complicated problems, which suggested high levels of innovation of a complex nature. Other corvids that have been observed using tools include: the American crow, blue jay, and green jay. Researchers have discovered that New Caledonian crows don't just use single objects as tools—they can also construct novel compound tools through assemblage of otherwise non-functional elements. Diversity in tool design among corvids suggests cultural variation. Again, great apes are the only other animals known to use tools in such a fashion.


title: Corvidae

text: Clark's nutcrackers and jackdaws were compared in a 2002 study based on geometric rule learning. The corvids, along with a domestic pigeon, had to locate a target between two landmarks, while distances and landmarks were altered. The nutcrackers were more accurate in their searches than the jackdaws and pigeons.


title: Corvidae

text: The scarecrow is an archetypal scare tactic in the agricultural business. However, due to corvids' quick wit, scarecrows are soon ignored, and used as perches. Despite farmers' efforts to rid themselves of corvid pests, their attempts have only expanded corvid territories, and strengthened their numbers.


title: Corvidae

text: Contrary to earlier teleological classifications, in which they were seen as "highest" songbirds due to their intelligence, current systematics might place corvids—based on their total number of physical characteristics, instead of just their brains (which are the most developed of birds)—in the lower middle of the passerine evolutionary tree, dependent on which subgroup is chosen as the most derived. As per one observer:


title: Corvidae

text: The other major group of highly intelligent birds of the order Psittaciformes (which includes 'true' parrots, cockatoos, and New Zealand parrots) is not closely related to corvids.


title: Corvidae

text: A study found that four-months-old ravens can have physical and social cognitive skills similar to that of adult great apes, and concluded that the “dynamic of the different influences that, during ontogeny, contributes to adult cognition” is required for the study of cognition.<ref name="10.1038/s41598-020-77060-8"> Available under CC BY 4.0.</ref>


title: Corvidae

text: Corvids are reservoirs (carriers) for the West Nile virus in the United States. They are infected by mosquitoes (the vectors), primarily of the "Culex" species. Crows and ravens are quickly killed by this disease, so their deaths are an early-warning system when West Nile virus arrives in an area (as are horses and other bird-species deaths). One of the first signs that West Nile virus first arrived in the US in 1999 was the death of crows in New York.


title: Corvidae

text: Several different corvids, particularly ravens, have occasionally served as pets, although they are not able to speak as readily as parrots, and are not suited to a caged environment.


title: Corvidae

text: It is illegal to own corvids, or any other migratory bird, without a permit in North America, due to the Migratory Bird Act.


title: Corvidae

text: Humans have been able to coexist with many members of the Corvidae family throughout history, most notably crows and ravens (see: “Role in myth and culture” section below). These positive interactions have extended into modern times.


title: Corvidae

text: Folklore often represents corvids as clever, and even mystical, animals. Some Native Americans, such as the Haida, believed that a raven created the earth, and despite being a trickster spirit, ravens were popular on totems, credited with creating man, and considered responsible for placing the Sun in the sky.


title: Corvidae

text: Due to their carrion diet, the Celtic peoples strongly associated corvids with war, death, and the battlefield; their great intelligence meant that they were often considered messengers, or manifestations of the gods, such as Bendigeidfran (Welsh for “Blessed Crow”) or the Irish Morrigan (Middle Irish for “Great Queen”), both who were underworld deities that may be related to the later Arthurian Fisher King. The Welsh "Dream of Rhonabwy" illustrates well the association of ravens with war. In many parts of Britain, gatherings of crows, or more often magpies, are counted using the divination rhyme: “"one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told.”" Another rhyme is: “"one for sorrow, two for mirth, three for a funeral, four for a birth, five for heaven, six for hell, and seven for the Devil, his own sel.”" Cornish superstition holds that when a lone magpie is encountered, it must be loudly greeted with respect.


title: Corvidae

text: Various Germanic peoples highly revered the raven, and the raven was often depicted as a motif on shields or other war gear in Anglo-Saxon art, such as the Sutton Hoo burial, and Vendel period art. The major deity, Odin, was so commonly associated with ravens throughout history that he gained the kenning “Raven God,” and the raven banner was the flag of various Viking Age Scandinavian chieftains. Odin was also attended by Hugin and Munin, two ravens who flew all over the world, and whispered information they acquired into his ears. The Valravn sometimes appeared in modern Scandinavian folklore. On a shield and purse lid excavated among the Sutton Hoo treasures, imagery of stylised corvids with scrolled beaks are meticulously detailed in the decorative enamel work. The corvid symbolism reflected their common totemic status to the Anglo-Saxons, whose pre-Christian indigenous beliefs were of the same origin as that of the aforementioned Vikings.


title: Corvidae

text: The sixth century BCE Greek scribe Aesop featured corvids as intelligent antagonists in many fables. Later, in western literature, popularized by American poet Edgar Allan Poe's work "The Raven", the common raven becomes a symbol of the main character's descent into madness.


title: Corvidae

text: The children's book "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" and its animated film adaptation features a protagonist crow named Jeremy.


title: Corvidae

text: Unlike many other bird families, corvid fitness and reproduction, especially with many crows, has increased due to human development. The survival and reproductive success of certain crows and ravens is assisted by their close relationship with humans.


title: Corvidae

text: Human development provides additional resources by clearing land, creating shrublands rich in berries and insects. When the cleared land naturally replenishes, jays and crows use the young dense trees for nesting sites. Ravens typically use larger trees in denser forest.


title: Corvidae

text: Despite the fact that most corvids are not threatened (many even increasing due to human activity) a few species are in danger. For example, the destruction of the Southeast Asian rainforest is endangering mixed-species feeding flocks with members from the family Corvidae. Also, since its semiarid scrubland habitat is an endangered ecosystem, the Florida scrub jay has a small and declining population. A number of island species, which are more vulnerable to introduced species and habitat loss, have been driven to extinction, such as the New Zealand raven, or are threatened, like the Mariana crow.


title: Corvidae

text: The American crow population of the United States has grown over the years. It is possible that the American crow, due to humans increasing suitable habitat, will cause Northwestern crows and fish crows to decline.


title: Mesothelioma

text: Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). The most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Less commonly the lining of the abdomen and rarely the sac surrounding the heart, or the sac surrounding the testis may be affected. Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma may include shortness of breath due to fluid around the lung, a swollen abdomen, chest wall pain, cough, feeling tired, and weight loss. These symptoms typically come on slowly.


title: Mesothelioma

text: More than 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by exposure to asbestos. The greater the exposure the greater the risk. As of 2013, about 125 million people worldwide have been exposed to asbestos at work. High rates of disease occur in people who mine asbestos, produce products from asbestos, work with asbestos products, live with asbestos workers, or work in buildings containing asbestos. Asbestos exposure and the onset of cancer are generally separated by about 40 years. Washing the clothing of someone who worked with asbestos also increases the risk. Other risk factors include genetics and infection with the simian virus 40. The diagnosis may be suspected based on chest X-ray and CT scan findings, and is confirmed by either examining fluid produced by the cancer or by a tissue biopsy of the cancer.


title: Mesothelioma

text: Prevention focuses on reducing exposure to asbestos. Treatment often includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. A procedure known as pleurodesis, which involves using substances such as talc to scar together the pleura, may be used to prevent more fluid from building up around the lungs. Chemotherapy often includes the medications cisplatin and pemetrexed. The percentage of people that survive five years following diagnosis is on average 8% in the United States.


title: Mesothelioma

text: In 2015, about 60,800 people had mesothelioma, and 32,000 died from the disease. Rates of mesothelioma vary in different areas of the world. Rates are higher in Australia, the United Kingdom, and lower in Japan. It occurs in about 3,000 people per year in the United States. It occurs more often in males than females. Rates of disease have increased since the 1950s. Diagnosis typically occurs after the age of 65 and most deaths occur around 70 years old. The disease was rare before the commercial use of asbestos.


title: Mesothelioma

text: Symptoms or signs of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years (or more) after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space (pleural effusion) are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.


title: Mesothelioma

text: In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body.


title: Mesothelioma

text: pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other features may include weight loss, fever, night sweats, poor appetite, vomiting, constipation, and umbilical hernia. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.


title: Mesothelioma

text: Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:


title: Mesothelioma

text: Pericardial mesothelioma is not well characterized, but observed cases have included cardiac symptoms, specifically constrictive pericarditis, heart failure, pulmonary embolism, and cardiac tamponade. They have also included nonspecific symptoms, including substernal chest pain, orthopnea (shortness of breath when lying flat), and cough. These symptoms are caused by the tumor encasing or infiltrating the heart.


title: Mesothelioma

text: If a mesothelioma forms metastases, these most commonly involve the liver, adrenal gland, kidney, or other lung.


title: Mesothelioma

text: Working with asbestos is the most common risk factor for mesothelioma. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos. Tentative evidence also raises concern about carbon nanotubes.


title: Mesothelioma

text: The incidence of mesothelioma has been found to be higher in populations living near naturally occurring asbestos. People can be exposed to naturally occurring asbestos in areas where mining or road construction is occurring, or when the asbestos-containing rock is naturally weathered. Another common route of exposure is through asbestos-containing soil, which is used to whitewash, plaster, and roof houses in Greece. In central Cappadocia, Turkey, mesothelioma was causing 50% of all deaths in three small villages—Tuzköy, Karain, and Sarıhıdır. Initially, this was attributed to erionite. Environmental exposure to asbestos has caused mesothelioma in places other than Turkey, including Corsica, Greece, Cyprus, China, and California. In the northern Greek mountain town of Metsovo, this exposure had resulted in mesothelioma incidence around 300 times more than expected in asbestos-free populations, and was associated with very frequent pleural calcification known as Metsovo lung.


title: Mesothelioma

text: The documented presence of asbestos fibers in water supplies and food products has fostered concerns about the possible impact of long-term and, as yet, unknown exposure of the general population to these fibers.


title: Mesothelioma

text: Exposure to talc is also a risk factor for mesothelioma; exposure can affect those who live near talc mines, work in talc mines, or work in talc mills.


title: Mesothelioma

text: In the United States, asbestos is considered the major cause of malignant mesothelioma and has been considered "indisputably" associated with the development of mesothelioma. Indeed, the relationship between asbestos and mesothelioma is so strong that many consider mesothelioma a "signal" or "sentinel" tumor. A history of asbestos exposure exists in most cases.