Darwin bicentennial lecture series begins Friday at UNL

Local, national and international experts hosted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln departments will address variations on evolution to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth.

The eight-lecture series begins Jan. 16 and concludes March 11. All lectures are free and open to public and are appropriate for non-specialized audiences. The schedule of lectures follows. All speakers are UNL faculty members unless otherwise noted.

Jan. 16, 11:30 a.m. -- "'All for One and One for All': Euergetism, Monuments, and Asia Minor Polis Viability and Growth in Antiquity," LuAnn Wandsnider, associate professor of anthropology, 24 CBA Building, 12th and R streets (euergetism derives from the Greek word for "doing good deeds"). For more information, contact the Department of Anthropology, (402) 472-6240.

Feb. 19, 4 p.m. -- "Is evolution compatible with monotheism?" Dan D. Crawford, senior lecturer in classics and religious studies, Bailey Library, 228 Andrews Hall, 14th and T streets. For more information, contact the Department of Classics and Religious Studies, (402) 472-2460.

Feb. 20, 11:30 a.m. -- "Darwinian Approaches to What You Had for Dinner," Peter Bleed, professor of Anthropology, 24 CBA Building. For more information, contact the Department of Anthropology. 3:30 p.m. -- "The Age of the Earth," Richard Kettler, associate professor of geosciences, 117 Bessey Hall, 12th and U streets. For more information, contact the Department of Geosciences, (402) 472-2663.

Feb. 26, 4 p.m. -- "In the Beginning? The Mythological Background of Genesis 1:1-3, " Mark S. Smith, professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at New York University, Bailey Library. For more information, contact the Department of Classics and Religious Studies.

March 5, 3:30 p.m. -- "Animal Coloration and the Art of Concealment," Martin Stevens, professor of zoology at the University of Cambridge, 110 Hamilton Hall, 12th and T streets. For more information, contact the School of Biological Sciences, (402) 472-2720.

March 6, 11:30 a.m. -- "Deconstructing the Visual Narrative of Evolution," Carleen Sanchez, assistant professor of anthropology, 24 CBA Building. For more information, contact the Department of Anthropology.

March 11, 3:30 p.m. -- "The evolution of love," Daniel Leger, professor of psychology, 105 Burnett Hall, 12th and T streets. For more information, contact the Department of Psychology, (402) 472-3721.

The Darwin Bicentennial Lecture Series is part of UNL's spring series of events and activities designed to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his "On the Origin of Species."

Other events include a Feb. 13 lecture by George Levine, professor emeritus of English at Rutgers University. The lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. Levine is the author of "Darwin Loves You: Natural Selection and the Re-enchantment of the World."

Feb. 12 to March 29, the Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q St., will host an exhibition, "Celebrating Darwin's Legacy: Evolution in the Galapagos Islands and the Great Plains." March 26-28, the Center for Great Plains Studies presents a symposium, "Celebrating Darwin's Legacy," at the Great Plains Art Museum and the Nebraska Union.

In addition, six UNL departments are offering an "Evolution Classroom Presentation Series" to middle or high school classes. Fourteen UNL faculty and graduate students will present lectures that vary in topic from "The Evolution of Love" by Leger to "Turtles and Tortoises" by Gwen Bachman and Bruce Stephen to "Parrot Societies" by Lynnsey Morrison.

For more information about these events, contact the Center for Great Plains Studies, (402) 472-3082, or visit www.unl.edu/plains.