If Charles Darwin had a party to celebrate his 200th birthday on Thursday, you never know who — or what – would show up.

To celebrate the life and work of the naturalist who revolutionized societal understanding of finches, tortoises, plankton and Homo sapiens, the Department of Cellular Biology and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts are co-sponsoring “Darwin Day at UGA.” The event will feature lectures, films and exhibitions today and Thursday to promote lively discussions concerning evolutionary theory.

This year’s Darwin Day celebration also marks the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s famous publication on natural selection, “On the Origin of Species.”

Though scientific research has changed significantly since the day Darwin was born – Feb. 12, 1809 – researchers still use and expand the theory of natural selection in ways Darwin would have never imagined, said Mark Farmer, professor and head of the Department of Cellular Biology.

Farmer, who will lead a lecture Thursday, said the celebration was designed to unite the sciences and humanities within the University and local community.

“We hope [the events] are about more than just Darwin,” Farmer said. “We want to engender a broad dialogue between non-scientists and scientists.”

A 2007 Gallup Poll shows Americans still are divided over the theory of evolution.

The poll reported 48 percent of Americans do not believe in evolution, whereas 49 percent said they did.

Two percent said they had no opinion, leaving 1 percent to margin of error.

The top five reasons people said they didn’t believe in evolution were all related to religion, according to the poll.

Farmer said he believes evolutionary theory and religion can co-exist. He said 40 percent of scientists – including himself – consider themselves to be “scientists of faith.”

“Religion and evolution try to answer different questions,” said René Bobe, assisstant professor of anthropology. “Evolution aims to answer questions about natural processes, whereas religion answers questions concerning the meaning of existence.”

Bobe will display a comparative arrangement of fossil hominid casts during Thursday’s events. He will also partake in a paleoanthropology conference later in the month sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History honoring Darwin.

Betty Jean Craige, director of the Willson Center and professor of comparative literature, said many people misinterpret the use of the term “theory” when discussing evolution.

She defined a theory as a coherent group of principles devised to analyze, predict or explain the nature or behavior of a specified set of phenomena.

Craige said rigorous testing and years of consistent results have solidified evolution as a scientific theory.

Despite the importance of evolution in the scientific community, Farmer and other researchers said they would accept other scientific explanations for natural processes if those theories were more consistent or accurate than natural selection.

For now, Darwin Day participants said evolution is the standard for modern science and should become a widely discussed topic throughout campus.

“Because Darwin’s explanation of natural selection as the driver of evolution is the basis of our understanding of nature today, all of us who want to be educated should understand what Darwin contributed to our world,” Craige said.

Geology professor Sally Walker said she is excited to share with students, faculty and Athens residents the various clam, snail and trilobite fossils. Her display will focus on the evolution of invertebrates, playing off of humans’ taste preferences for seafood.

Though the closest resemblance to party food will be Walker’s “edible invertebrates” – fossil-shaped treats – the celebration itself resonates in the local community and symbolizes appreciation for Darwin’s accomplishments.