Our research

Understanding biodiversity across space and time

How does biological diversity arise? Which processes have shaped it throughout Earth’s history, and what is driving the changes we see today? How can we preserve biodiversity for future generations?

To answer these key research questions, scientists at the Natural History Museum Stuttgart combine palaeontological and biological perspectives to investigate the diversity of life over millions of years. Looking back through Earth’s history reveals how biodiversity has developed under different environmental conditions and how biological communities have responded to profound change. Complementary research into present-day biodiversity shows how climate change, changes in land use and other factors are altering biodiversity in the Anthropocene – the age of human activity. Together, these research data provide the basis for models that show what the future of species and ecosystems might look like under different conditions.

By linking the past, present and future of biodiversity, we can identify long-term patterns, gain a better understanding of biodiversity dynamics and establish a scientifically robust basis for its protection.

Three levels of biodiversity

Our research programme follows the three levels of biological diversity: diversity within species, species diversity and diversity of ecosystems. These levels and their interactions are closely interconnected. At the Natural History Museum Stuttgart, they are investigated across three research areas.

Diversity within species

Within a species, individuals and populations differ in their genetic, morphological, physiological and behavioural characteristics. This variation provides an important basis for adaptation and evolution.

In this research area, we investigate how variation within species arises, how it develops under changing environmental conditions, and how it influences adaptability, the emergence of new species and the extinction of populations.

Species diversity

The diversity of species is the result of a long evolutionary history and is constantly changing: species arise, spread, alter their ranges or disappear. At the same time, species influence one another and thereby shape the biological communities in which they occur.

In this research area, we investigate the relationships and evolutionary histories of species, their distributions and the ways in which they change across different periods and geographical regions. A particular focus is the taxonomic inventory and description of species diversity that remains inadequately known. Ongoing monitoring projects and historical specimens in our collection help us trace changes in species communities and understand their drivers.

Ecosystem diversity

Ecosystems consist of complex relationships between organisms and their environment. Their diversity is reflected in the range of habitats they encompass, the composition of their biological communities and the functions they perform.

In this area of research, we investigate how ecological networks are structured, how species contribute to ecosystem functions, and which factors influence the stability and resilience of ecosystems. Comparing present-day ecosystems with those of the past enables us to study responses to natural environmental change – including mass extinctions – as well as the consequences of climate change, changes in land use and other human impact.

Linking the past, present and future

Bringing together palaeontological and biological research is a central element of our research programme. Body fossils and trace fossils document biodiversity across vast spans of time, allowing us to trace long-term processes such as adaptation, speciation, extinction and the development of ecosystems. Ongoing biodiversity monitoring and targeted research projects show how these processes continue today and how they are being altered by human activity.

By integrating the past and present, we can identify ecological and evolutionary patterns, gain a better understanding of the resilience of biological systems, and develop scientifically grounded models of possible future developments.

Collections as repositories of biodiversity knowledge

The research collection of the Natural History Museum Stuttgart forms the foundation of our research programme. Its specimens document biological and geological diversity across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Together with the associated information, including details of where and when specimens were collected, their characteristics, genetics and environmental conditions, they are invaluable repositories of knowledge for biodiversity research.

We expand, document and digitise our collection in response to the needs of research. In this way, they remain not only an archive of the past, but are also developing into a future-oriented research infrastructure that enables new interdisciplinary questions to be explored.

Find out more about our research collection

Innovative methods and connected data

Researching biodiversity requires the combined expertise of different disciplines and the use of complementary methods. At the Natural History Museum Stuttgart, we bring together traditional taxonomic expertise and morphological research with genomics, environmental DNA, high-resolution 2D and 3D imaging, computer-based analysis and artificial intelligence. Digitising and recording specimens, samples and observation data in a standardised way creates new opportunities for linking large datasets.

Knowledge for a diverse future

Our research programme aims to close existing gaps in our knowledge of biodiversity and the changes it is undergoing. We understand research as a collaborative process. Through national and international partnerships, researchers from different disciplines work together and involve partners from politics, nature conservation, agriculture and wider society. The results provide a basis for protecting and sustainably using biological diversity, and addressing the challenges of the biodiversity crisis and climate change.

Get involved! Discover current citizen-science research projects: citizen-science projects