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About Bone ClonesŪ ABOUT BONE CLONES®, THE COMPANY AND THE PRODUCT
Much has happened in the world of replicating skulls and skeletons since Bone ClonesŪ began in 1993, but one thing hasn't changed and that is our commitment to accuracy and quality. In our first year of business we coined the phrase "virtually indistinguishable from the original" and it remains our motto. When we started "cloning from real to resin" many wondered whether replicas would be accepted because they would not look "real". They commented that the few zoological replicas available were not convincing and broke easily. That became our first challenge: to make a reproduction so faithful to the original that it was, in fact, difficult to distinguish between them, and at the same make it durable. Many years later we are pleased that Bone ClonesŪ (the brand) has been so well accepted and used regularly in a variety of educational disciplines from anthropology to zoology. We are often told that educators now prefer, for a variety of reasons, to use replicas over natural bone and that Bone ClonesŪ (if we may boast for a moment) were the catalyst for that change. When looking to purchase the best quality and detail in a cast of a human or animal skull or skeleton, whether extant or extinct, make sure it is a BONE CLONESŪ cast. Each year Bone Clones, Inc. has explored new territory. In the beginning we reproduced primarily animal skulls, our very first being a Gorilla skull (BC-001.) After the success of our initial launchings, our customers began to ask for specific replicas they would like to see us do. Since then, we have been going where our customers have directed us to go. From the history of man in the fossil record, to evidence of trauma and pathology imbedded in the bones of modern man, from the extant to the extinct in the animal world, from the obvious to the obscure in nature - we continue to explore ways to present the information left on the bones in such accurate detail that significant knowledge can be gained from it. Because we want Bone ClonesŪ to be the outstanding example of any particular skull or skeleton, we always seek the best originals to work from. In the case of fossil hominids, we research and re-create based on casts made from original fossils, the latest literature and full color, life size photographs, or some combination of those materials available to the general public. All products are hand crafted by a skilled crew in our facilities in Southern California. Using proprietary techniques for prepping and making a mold of the original material and custom- formulated polyurethane resin, we cast the finest replicas available. The final step of coloring the piece to replicate that of the original is done by our expertly trained painters. Then, of course, it proceeds to our quality control department where each cast is inspected in the minutest detail. We wish to thank the many individuals and institutions that lend Bone Clones, Inc. original material to cast, and our customers who encourage us to press forward and who are not shy in telling us in what direction. As always, we wish to thank our staff who demonstrates uncommon dedication in the pursuit of excellence. Choosing an Original Specimen
The importance of the original.... We thought we would talk a little about how we select specimens to cast because aside from the quality of the casting technique, the quality of the original determines the final outcome. Bone ClonesŪ began as Kronen Osteo, a company that for many years specialized in preparing natural bone skulls and skeletons for education and museum exhibits. As such, we had access to many fine specimens and in 1993 began Bone ClonesŪ. The purpose was to make available to a larger public casts of skulls and skeletons that would be faithful to the original. To find a good quality original we assess various characteristics like size, dentition, age, and general condition of the bone elements of the skull (or skeleton). We often search for years to find an original that meets our exacting standards, and are often aided by Museum collections as well as private collectors. This way we can bring you the best representation of any particular species. After locating an original that meets our criteria for casting, we apply our unique techniques to preparing it for the molding process, a step that is also very important in determining the appearance and scientific accuracy of the reproduction. How the nasal passages, for example, and other fine features are replicated depend on this time consuming and meticulous prepping procedure. Once prepped, a mold (or impression) is made of the original. Our custom formulated resin is then poured into these molds and once the piece has solidified, it is an exact copy of the original. Next we finish each replica duplicating the subtle structures and scientific detail of natural and fossilized bone. In the final steps we reproduce the complex patterns and colors of the originals. Superior quality is built into Bone Clones® in the very first step of the process - the selection of the original material - and then proceed with care and skill to achieve the best possible replicas, with attention to subtle details of appearance, texture and weight. About Our Hominids
The Bone ClonesŪ Hominid Series began as a response to our customers' requests for more accurate recreations than were available. Since casts from original skulls were hard to come by, we commissioned a team of anatomical sculptors to re-create a series fossil hominids. Given the plethora of existing information and exciting new finds, it was difficult to choose which to produce. Our decision was based partly on those skulls that we felt would be of particular interest to the educational community, and which would represent the most important finds and various time periods of hominid evolution. We continue our effort to sculpt new finds as they occur, leaving time for original papers to be published and enough scientific data to be obtained so we may re-create our casts as precisely as we are able. Each hominid is carefully researched and re-created based on casts made from the original fossils, the latest literature and full color, life-size photographs, or some combination thereof. All of our Bone ClonesŪ hominids are produced with a custom formulated, high grade, polyurethane resin, which simulates the subtle delicacy of natural bone, yet is extremely durable and resists breakage and chipping. Every effort was made to re-create anatomical details of color, size, shape, reconstructed areas, and bone/fossil texture. The hominids offered in this series are high quality, artistic recreations that can be advantageously used by educators as important visual aids in the classroom. They are not intended for advanced graduate work or to be measured for research purposes. Special thanks to our paleoanthropologist consultants Dr. Bruce Gelvin of Cal State Univ. Northridge and Dr. Joseph Miller of UCLA. We welcome any comments and requests as we plan to continue improving our Bone ClonesŪ Hominid Series, adding hominids from time to time. Bone Clones, Inc. Privacy Statement
* Effective (January 1, 2005) We recognize and respect your need for privacy and security as you visit our site. When you visit our site to view any pages, read product information, or use our on-line calculators and tools, you do so without telling us who you are and without revealing any personal information. While we do not collect identifying information about visitors to our site, we do use standard software to collect information for the strict purpose of tracking activity on our site. This allows us to better understand how many people use our site and which pages and features are most popular. The only information we normally collect and store is:
There are instances where you may elect to provide us with personal information. If you order one or more of our products, or send us email, you are transmitting the information. This will typically include information like your name, mailing address, email address, the items you are ordering, and any other information necessary to fulfill your order and may include credit card information. Personally identifying information should never be transmitted that you do not enter yourself. And this is always your option; this information cannot be collected unless you specifically elect to send it to us. This information is used internally only for the purpose of fulfilling your order or for contacting you directly and is not given, sold to or shared with any other organization. When you submit personally identifying information via our online shopping cart, that information is encrypted, or scrambled, by your browser before it is transmitted back to our secure web site. This effectively prevents anyone from intercepting and reading any personal information about you. Note that this encryption does not take place if you send us email, but only when you use your web browser to order on-line. We hope you find our website useful and informative and we are always willing to answer questions and receive suggestions. If you have either, please e-mail us at info@boneclones.com. Thank you. * We reserve the right to change our privacy policy. A revised policy statement will only apply to data collected subsequent to its effective date. Any revisions will be posted at least 30 days prior to its effective date. Comparative Economy Sets
Responding to customer requests, we now manufacture economy versions of a few selected items. Comp 101, Comp 102 and Comp 103 are sets of 4 pieces each; skull, femur, humerus and pelvis for Human male, female and child, are useful in noting the differences and similarities of human anatomy About our Economy North American Mammals
Introducing a collection of North American mammal skulls in Bone ClonesŪ quality at an economical price. Our goal with this series is to produce affordable replicas so that a new generation of nature enthusiasts can learn about animals and anatomy. While care is taken to ensure the major features of the skull are preserved, the small details of the neural passages may not be opened. Not providing these neurological characteristics makes it possible to produce a more economical replica that is still an excellent teaching aide. In many cases we have also introduced the claws and talons of the corresponding specie. We think these will be a useful addition to the teaching repertoire for any teacher of young students BC-146E Bobcat. Please see page 40 in the 2006 catalog See our Cougar & Grizzly bear in our regular product line. We will be adding more economy products from time to time and welcome input from our customers. Primate Information
Our very first Bone ClonesŪ was a primate. Aware that primates were endangered and protected, David (our founder) imagined that there would be an interest in replicas of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans, if only they were a credible facsimile of the real. Of course, HE was very interested himself !!! since he is a "bone" person. That was the original challenge and our first Bone ClonesŪ was a Gorilla skull, BC-001. We were amused early on with reports that this Gorilla skull had been intercepted several times by Fish and Game Departments and carefully examined and tested for its "realness" or "boneness" Perhaps a bone density test was made to determine whether it was resin or bone. We knew then that we were on the right track. Soon thereafter we imbedded our logo in each piece we produce, and also added our distinctive Bone Clones® tag. We currently produce all the Great and Lesser Apes skeletons including 4 Gorilla skulls, 2 Orangutan skulls, a Chimpanzee skull, a Bonobo skull, and a Gibbon skull. We also have life casts of hands and feet of all the apes as well as life casts of a male and female gorilla heads. A tragic fire at the Philadelphia Zoo several years ago gave our company the opportunity to immortalize some of the primates that perished there and at the same provide revenue to the Zoo by way of licensing agreements with Bone ClonesŪ Our 16th Bone ClonesŪ was a Human skull. We made the leap from zoological to human and yet remained in the primate family. Since then we have added many more products in the Human anatomy field including ethnic and gender comparisons in the human family. All of our skeletal replicas are carefully prepared and cast to insure the highest accuracy possible. Our primate skulls and skeletons are used extensively in post and undergraduate teaching as well as research. We have been told numerous times by educators that they have started teaching programs precisely because we have made these high quality casts available. Return Policy
You can return a product within 10 days of having received it, and we will issue full refund (minus shipping) or exchange it for you. Before returning it, please call 800-914-0091 and you will be given an authorization return number. If the return is necessary because of a quality problem, we will exchange the item promptly at no cost to you. Legal
All products in our catalog and website are produced and handmade by Bone Clones® in the USA and are protected under State, Federal and International trademark laws. Photos, text, descriptions or casts cannot be reproduced without the written consent of Bone Clones, Inc. Acknowledgements
Bone ClonesŪ gratefully acknowledges the generosity and support of the following Institutions and organizations for providing original specimens for us to cast: Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia Ordering Information
Order on our website: www.boneclones.com Order by phone: 818-709-7991 or 800-914-0091 (USA customers only) Order by Fax: 818-709-7993 Order by e-mail: order@boneclones.com Order by mail: Payment: We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Checks or money orders can be mailed to us made payable to Bone Clones, Inc. Allow 10 days for personal checks to clear. Sorry, we do not ship COD. Educational institutions can fax, mail or e-mail us your Purchase Order. Delivery Information - Domestic
Your address: Please provide us with your shipping and billing address (if different) and a daytime phone number. Our preferred shipping method is to a street address. If you have special shipping needs, please advise us. Specify: Item #, description, quantity and price. Add shipping charges, per chart below. California residents add Sales Tax. Domestic Ground Charges:
We will be happy to quote you shipping charges for items that require special crating and shipping. Shipments within the USA are generally shipped via Fedex ground services. Rush orders: For expedited 2 day air service add $19.00 to above charges. For next day air service add $35.00. Delivery Information - International
International Orders: Shipping charges depend on size, weight and the level of service. We will quote you the shipping and handling charges. Please note that there may be additional charges in the recipient country such as customs duties, VAT taxes, etc., and those are the responsibility of the recipient. Our commercial invoice indicates that Bone ClonesŪ are educational products and in some instances, this can impact the charges favorably. |