Daniela Schwarz

Dr. Daniela Schwarz is a leading paleontologist at the Museum of Natural History Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research in Berlin, Germany. She serves as the Scientific Head of the Fossil Reptiles and Tetrapod Ichnofossils Collection and the Fossil Birds Collection, and heads the Palaeontological Preparation Laboratories. As Scientific Coordinator of the DFG LIS Project "Research and Responsibility," she leads efforts to create virtual access to integrated fossil and archival material from the German Tendaguru Expedition (1909-1913).

Her research primarily focuses on sauropod dinosaurs, investigating their pneumaticity (air-filled bones), anatomy, functional morphology, taxonomy, and phylogeny, with special emphasis on specimens from the Tendaguru Formation in Tanzania. She also conducts significant research on Archaeopteryx, applying modern imaging techniques to study its anatomy and pneumatic structures, and investigates Mesozoic crocodylomorphs, examining their taxonomy, phylogeny, and functional morphology. Her work bridges traditional paleontological research with cutting-edge digital approaches.

Dr. Schwarz's recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on digital methodologies in paleontology, including CT scanning, 3D modeling, and virtual reconstruction techniques. Her research increasingly incorporates interdisciplinary approaches that combine paleontological science with digital humanities, particularly regarding colonial history and cultural heritage issues related to the Tendaguru collections. This work represents a significant shift toward more comprehensive, ethically informed approaches to historical fossil collections.

As head of the Palaeontological Preparation Laboratories, she oversees critical technical operations for specimen preparation and conservation. Her leadership in the DFG Research Project "Commitment to the morphological extreme" focuses on revised systematics of the sauropod dinosaur Dicraeosaurus and 3D articulation of its neck and shoulder girdle, demonstrating her continued commitment to advancing both methodological and taxonomic aspects of paleontological research.