Our Upcoming Speaker
Note: Meetings are Hybrid with Zoom and In-Person at the Lodge at the Birmingham Zoo
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2026 at 7:00 PM Central Time USA
Title: "Form, Function, and Fangs: An Introduction to Dental Heterodonty in Sharks, Rays, and Skates"
Speaker: Jun Ebersole, Director of Collections, McWane Science Center
Abstract:
Sharks, rays, and skates—collectively known as elasmobranchs—possess some of the most dynamic and specialized dentitions in the animal kingdom. While often generalized as uniform rows of razor-sharp teeth, elasmobranch dentitions exhibit heterodonty, where a single individual possesses multiple distinct tooth morphologies. This talk provides a comprehensive overview of serial tooth replacement and dental heterodonty across major elasmobranch lineage groups, exploring how variations in tooth form correlate directly with behaviors and specialized dietary niches.
About the Speaker:
Jun Ebersole is the Director of Collections at McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama and oversees the second largest natural history collection in the state. Jun is both an archaeologist and paleontologist and has over 40 peer-reviewed publications in the fields of archaeology, paleontology, and local history. Jun’s prior research has included investigating Homo erectus sites in East Africa, Native American and historic sites in the northeastern and southeastern U.S., and he currently studies the fossil vertebrate diversity in Alabama. Jun has named over 25 new fossil species, including the Bryant Shark (Cretalamna bryanti), Mackay Shark (Mennerotodus mackayi), and a duck-billed dinosaur (Eotrachodon orientalis). Jun is the lead author, founder, and editor of Fossil Fishes of Alabama, the world’s largest online resource on this subject matter. Aside from his research, Jun has curated numerous exhibitions at McWane Science Center, has taught as an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Anthropology at UAB, is Ad Hoc Faculty in the UAB Biology Department, and is a Fellow National in the Explorer’s Club.