Aline Marcele Ghilardi was born on 8 June 1986 in Brazil. She is a paleontologist and professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), where her research centers on paleoichnology (fossil tracks) and paleoecology.[1]
Ghilardi became internationally known for leading the "Ubirajara belongs to Brazil" campaign, which pushed for the return of Ubirajara jubatus -- a small feathered dinosaur excavated in Brazil decades earlier but described and held in Germany -- to Brazilian custody. The campaign succeeded in 2023, becoming a widely cited case study in the broader movement against the export of fossils from the Global South without local involvement.[1]
Alongside her research, Ghilardi is an active public science communicator, using her platform to advocate for the decolonization of paleontology and greater Brazilian ownership of its own fossil heritage.[1]