A Fortuitous Discovery on a Quiet Riverbank

The story begins with the Coleman family of Mobile, Alabama. What started as a routine fishing trip turned into a truly once-in-a-lifetime find when the family spotted a fossil embedded in limestone near a riverbank. Their curiosity led them to contact Dr. Andrew Gentry, a paleontologist specializing in turtles. After careful field recovery involving McWane Science Center, the Geological Survey of Alabama, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and others, the fossil was safely transported to labs for study.

From Field to Explore Lab: How It Got Here

Once recovered, the fossil underwent painstaking preparation and study by a team spanning institutions and scientific disciplines. Dr. Gentry and Jun Ebersole, McWane’s Director of Collections led the effort to bring this specimen into McWane’s care.

Given McWane’s role in preserving Alabama’s natural history, adding Ueloca colemanorum enriches the museum’s already vast collection — which includes half a million specimens across the fields of paleontology, zoology, and archaeology — and offers visitors a chance to engage with cutting-edge science first-hand.

What This Find Tells Us

Leatherback turtles are unusual among turtles: rather than having shells comprised of large solid bony plates, they are made of a mosaics of small bones, called ossicles, that are held together by connective tissue. After the turtle dies and the soft tissues decompose, the ossicles usually fall apart, making intact fossils of leatherback shells extremely rare.

What makes Ueloca colemanorum stand out:

• It lacks longitudinal ridges (a feature present in other leatherback lineages) — its shell was relatively smooth.
• Its carapace is comprised of parallel rows of enlarged ossicles interspersed with smaller ones arranged in floriform (flower-like) patterns.
• Histological (bone structure) studies show a cancellous (porous) core and an external compact cortex, but no basal compact layer — a trait also seen in modern leatherback turtles.

Because the specimen is so complete, it adds critical data as to how leatherback shells evolved. The research suggests that there were at least two lineages (lineages called Uelocini and Dermochelyini) evolving in parallel, each adapting mosaic ossicle structures in distinct ways over tens of millions of years.

Naming Ueloca colemanorum: A Blend of Science and Culture

The genus and species name tells a story in two parts:

• Ueloca (pronounced Wee-low-juh) is formed from the Muscogee (Mvskoke) words “Uewa” (water) and “Locv” (turtle). This choice honors the Indigenous people of the region and acknowledges the importance of connecting cultural heritage with natural history.
• colemanorum honors the Coleman family (Adrienne, Adam, Talah, and Corey) for discovering the specimen and supporting its retrieval and study.

This is the first known fossil whose scientific name incorporates the Mvskoke language — a significant step in combining scientific practice with respect for local and Indigenous voice.

Visit the Explore Lab — Meet Ueloca colemanorum

Next time you visit McWane, don’t miss Ueloca colemanorum in the Explore Lab. Take a moment to visually trace the patterns of its ossicles, consider the millions of years between then and now, and reflect on the many hands that made its presence here possible.

In a world where the past can feel distant, this turtle fossil is not only an anchor to deep time — it’s a celebration of curiosity, partnership, and the power of science to bring us closer to mysteries once thought lost.

Learn more about McWane Science Center’s collection by visiting our Collections & Research page.

Learn more about our partners who helped make this happen:

The Learning Campus at Gulf State Park
Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Geological Survey of Alabama
Dauphin Island Sea Lab

The post A New Chapter in Alabama’s Deep Past: McWane Welcomes <i>Ueloca colemanorum</i> to the Explore Lab appeared first on McWane Science Center.

From Early Dreams to Big Impact

• May 2015 marked the grand opening of Itty Bitty Magic City, a 10,000‑square‑foot exhibit designed just for children ages newborn to kindergarten. It recreated an entire miniature city—complete with a farm, fire station, diner, veter­inary clinic, garage, grocery market, tot spot, water‑play area, and a climbing structure—to inspire learning through play.
• Built through a five‑year planning effort and funded via a $5 million capital investment—backed by public/private partnerships including the City of Birmingham—this was McWane Science Center’s largest expansion to date.
• In its first year alone, Itty Bitty Magic City welcomed over 300,000 visitors, offering more than 1,100 programs geared toward early childhood engagement.

Why It Matters: Ten Years of Wonder

Over the past ten years, Itty Bitty Magic City has:

• Engaged thousands of young minds with the power of creative, hands-on play at just the right developmental stage
• Reinforced McWane’s mission “to spark wonder and curiosity about our world through hands-on science experiences” by making early STEM learning accessible and playful
• Embedded itself in Birmingham’s cultural fabric, sparking imagination in families across the region and fueling early childhood education outreach efforts

“Itty Bitty Magic City ensures that our youngest visitors have access to the most relevant, stimulating, and educational experiences possible,” says Kayley Cook, Director of Museum Engagement at McWane Science Center. “As the fields of STEM continue to evolve, so too must the environments we create for children to explore them.”

10 Fun Facts for 10 Years of Itty Bitty Magic City

Even frequent visitors may have missed some of these fun details hiding in plain sight:

1. There are over 430 props throughout the exhibit—including plush animals, wooden trains, and tiny market food. Two full sets are rotated weekly!
2. The floor under the climbing structure glows! It’s called Starlight Hollow, and it lights up when kids move across it.
3. The Tinker Shop, launched in 2022, quickly became a favorite, drawing 175–200 participants each month.
4. There are hidden artist signatures in the murals—Easter eggs from the original graphic design team.
5. A cozy Nursing Room, added in 2024, celebrates its first birthday this September.
6. The IBMC Farm is home to a barn owl, and the tree next to the Itty Bitty house hides more tiny creatures.
7. The mail is real! It’s addressed to exhibits like the Firehouse, Garage, and Pet Vet.
8. The train table is one of a kind, handcrafted in-house by McWane’s Exhibits team.
9. STEM Facilitators host Tiny Tot Trivia throughout the day—winners get their very own Itty Bitty sticker.
10. In October, the IBMC Farm planter gets transformed into a pumpkin patch.

Join the Celebration!

Whether you’re a Birmingham local or visiting from afar, August 2, 2025 is your chance to celebrate ten years of magical learning. Bring your little ones, revisit favorite exhibits, and try the special birthday programming that day. Admission to all activities is included with general museum entry.

For all details, see McWane’s official event page and our feature article on Bham Now.

Here’s to ten years of nurturing curious minds in Birmingham!

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The Archimedes Society is made up of McWane’s most loyal advocates—individuals who give $5,000 or more annually to support our work. Their generosity fuels everything from exhibit upgrades to educational outreach, and their belief in the power of informal STEM education allows us to reach thousands of curious minds each year.

A Grateful Reunion

In the Fall of 2024, members of the Archimedes Society were invited back to McWane Science Center for the first time since the global pandemic. At the luncheon, donors from 2020 to 2024 were honored for stepping up immensely during an unpredictable time. These individual donors truly “Helped Keep McWane Afloat” and we could not be more grateful. Donors were updated on all the exciting happenings that McWane have developed through the Master Plan including upgrades to exhibits and the facility. One Archimedes family in particular took special interest in the Basilosaurus—Alabama’s state fossil—and generously decided to fund the entire project! The 40-million-year-old, more than 60-foot-long, toothed whale cast will be hung in the Grand Lobby ready to greet everyone that enters the museum. This instance shows just how important and impactful the Archimedes Society is to McWane Science Center. We anticipate the Basilosaurus to be unveiled in late summer of this year.

Coming Soon: Diamondback Terrapin Nursery

And that’s not all—this fall, McWane will launch a Diamondback Terrapin Nursery in partnership with UAB! The nursery will care for hatchling terrapins, giving them a safer start before being released back into their natural habitats. We’re planning a special unveiling for Archimedes Society members and friends in September of this year—stay tuned for details.

Save the Date: November 6, 2025

Looking ahead, be sure to mark your calendars for our 2025 Archimedes Society Gathering on November 6th. We can’t wait to celebrate with you again and share even more milestones made possible by your support.

For more information about The Archimedes Society, email hsweeney@mcwane.org. To become an Archimedes level donor, visit our Donate page or call (205) 714-8359.

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Brandan brings nearly 20 years of experience in science education, museum leadership, and exhibit design to the McWane team. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Visitor Experience at Orlando Science Center, where he helped launch projects like KidsTown and the STEM Discovery Center and led strategic efforts to make hands-on STEM learning more accessible to the community. 

 Before his museum career took off, Brandan studied physics and astronomy at Butler University in Indiana and began his journey in science as a physics teacher. He’s a nationally respected voice in the science center field and a creative force known for pairing strategic vision with a love of experimentation. 

 To help you get to know the person behind the position, we asked Brandan a few fun questions—and he didn’t disappoint. Keep reading for a quick Q&A with our new CEO! 

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Q&A with Brandan Lanman 

Q: What’s your go-to snack during a busy workday?
Brandan: Go to snacks are dependent on the company. If I am alone, Cheetos are THE best, but no one wants cheese dust on their fingers in public. So, when I am around company, I like a good trail mix. However, M&M’s are a must-have component. 

Q: What’s a favorite field trip memory from your own school days?
Brandan: Growing up in central Indiana, I got to visit some amazing cultural destinations. However, my single favorite was always the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. I can remember, quite vividly, staring at the massive glass water clock in their grand lobby, and when the clock reset and all the water rushed to the bottom, I was beyond fascinated. Truly blew my young mind how it all worked. I could have watched it operate all day. 

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Brandan: My favorite bit of advice that I have received is quite simple: do what you say you are going to do. 

Q: Tell us a bit more about your family!
Brandan: My partner, Alicia, and I met while working at the Orlando Science Center over 10 years ago, and I am a proud step-dad to our son Elliot, who is in middle school. We also have a rescue pup named Sir Didymus. 

What’s Next for McWane? 

Brandan joins McWane at a transformational moment. In addition to celebrating our 27-year legacy, we’re renovating our lobby with the suspension of Alabama’s state fossil, the Basilosaurus, launching our terrapin conservation exhibit in conjunction with UAB, and expanding our STEM outreach programs across the Southeast. 

As McWane’s Board Chair, Harrison Bishop, put it:
“We’ve spent the last 25+ years changing lives through science and wonder. Now, with Brandan at the helm, we’re ready to make our impact even bigger.” 

We couldn’t agree more. 

Welcome to Birmingham, Brandan! We’re so glad to have you leading the charge into McWane’s next big adventure—and don’t worry, we’ll make sure to keep trail mix on deck! 

Want to keep up with all the exciting things happening at McWane?
Follow us on social media for the latest news, behind-the-scenes fun, and science surprises—or check out our Upcoming Events page to see what’s coming up!

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Full study here (available 2/7/24 at 12:00 p.m. CST): https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.27.e112800

News story: https://alabamanewscenter.com/2024/02/07/65-million-year-old-fossil-of-new-shark-species-discovered-in-alabama/

“This shark was one of the ocean’s top predators after the extinction of the dinosaurs”

Birmingham, AL (February 7, 2024) – Today, a team of scientists is pleased to announce the discovery of a new fossil shark species from Alabama. The team is led by Jun Ebersole, Director of Collections at McWane Science Center located downtown Birmingham, David Cicimurri, Curator of Natural History at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, and T. Lynn Harrell, Jr., a Paleontologist and Fossil Collections Curator at the Geological Survey of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

The shark is a new species of Palaeohypotodus (pronounced pale-ee-oh-hype-oh-toe-duss), which means “ancient small-eared tooth,” in reference to the small needle-like fangs present on the sides of the teeth. It has been named Palaeohypotodus bizzocoi, for the late Dr. Bruce Bizzoco (1949-2022) of Birmingham. Bizzoco served as a Dean at Shelton State Community College as an archaeologist and was a longtime volunteer at McWane Science Center. The naming of this species honors Dr. Bizzoco’s lifelong commitments to education and the preservation of Alabama’s history. According to Ebersole, the discovery of this shark was accidental.

“A few years ago, I was looking through the historical fossil collections at the Geological Survey in Alabama and came across a small box of shark teeth that were collected over 100 years ago in Wilcox County,” Ebersole said. “Having documented hundreds of fossil fish species over the last decade, I found it puzzling that these teeth were from a shark that I didn’t recognize.”

Ebersole quickly realized that these teeth belonged to a new species.

“Perhaps one of the coolest aspects of this shark, is when it lived – the Paleocene, approximately 65-million-years-ago,” Cicimurri said. This is the time-period from just after the death of the dinosaurs, where over 75% of life on Earth went extinct.”

According to Cicimurri, this shark was a leading predator during the time when the oceans were recovering.

“This time period is understudied, which makes the discovery of this new shark species that much more significant,” Harrell said.

The naming of this shark is part of an ongoing project led by Ebersole and Cicimurri to document Alabama’s fossil fishes. Together, they have confirmed over 400 unique species of fossil sharks and bony fishes, which, according to Ebersole makes Alabama one of the richest places in the world in terms of fossil fish diversity.

The study, titled A new species Palaeohypotodus Glickman, 1964 (Chondrichthyes, Lamniformes) from the lower Paleocene (Danian) Porters Creek Formation, Wilcox County, Alabama, USA, was published today in the open access journal Fossil Record and can be downloaded here: https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.27.e112800

Who discovered these sharks? The new fossil shark species was discovered and named by the following team of researchers:

• Jun A. Ebersole, Director of Collections, McWane Science Center, Birmingham, AL.
• David J. Cicimurri, Curator of Natural History, South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, SC.
• T. Lynn Harrell, Jr., Paleontologist and Fossil Curator, Geological Survey of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.

Where was the shark discovered?
The fossil shark teeth were collected over 100 years ago from an old farm in Wilcox County, Alabama, and were reposited in the collections at the Geological Survey of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. The teeth were later “rediscovered” in 2020 by Ebersole and Harrell who determined they belonged to a new species.

When did this shark live?
This ancient shark species appears in the geologic record just after the extinction of the dinosaurs, approximately 65-million-years-ago during a time period called the Danian Stage of the Paleocene Epoch.

What does the name mean?
Palaeohypotodus is an extinct genus of shark. Other species of Palaeohypotodus have been previously described oversees from Europe and Russia. The name Palaeohypotodus means “ancient small-eared tooth,” in reference to the small needle-like fangs present on the sides of the teeth. The new species, Palaeohypotodus bizzocoi, is named for the late Dr. Bruce Bizzoco (1949-2022) of Birmingham, AL, who was an archaeologist, Dean at Shelton State Community College, and volunteer at McWane Science Center. The naming of this species honors Dr. Bizzoco’s lifelong commitments to the education and preservation of local Alabama history.

What did the shark look like?
Scientists do not actually know for sure because this species is only known from a handful of teeth. Because the teeth and dentition of this fossil shark is very different from those of any living sharks, it is difficult to determine its body shape. However, of all the sharks living today, the teeth of Palaeohypotodus bizzocoi are somewhat comparable to those of Sand Tiger Sharks (Carcharias taurus), indicating that they might have had a similar appearance.

How large was this shark?
Based on lengths of modern Sand Tiger Sharks, Palaeohypotodus bizzocoi likely grew to lengths of up to 10 feet.

What did this shark eat?
Palaeohypotodus bizzocoi teeth have distinctive side fangs on their teeth, called lateral cusplets. In living sharks, those that have teeth with lateral cusplets often feed on bony fishes, crustaceans, and squids, suggesting this fossil shark had a similar diet.

Why is this shark discovery important?

• The discovery of this new fossil species increases our knowledge of the known fossil shark diversity along the Gulf Coastal Plain of the USA, one of the richest regions in the world in terms of fossil fish diversity.
• This species represents the first occurrence of any species of Palaeohypotodus in the Gulf Coastal Plain region of the USA.
• This species appears in the fossil record just after the extinction of the dinosaurs, 65-million-years-ago. During the dinosaur extinction event, over 75% of life on Earth died out. Palaeohypotodus bizzocoi was one of the larger sharks living at a time when the world’s oceans were recovering. Studying the fishes from this span of time (called the Paleocene) provides us with clues on how marine animals respond and recover to cataclysmic events.

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