General Information and Accuracy

Product Maintenance and Modification

DonorsChoose.org

Fossil Hominids

3D Scanning & Printing of Bone Clones® Products

Disclaimer on Ancestry Assessment

General Information and Accuracy

Q: Are your products real bone?
A: We sell NO natural bone.

Q: If not, what are they made of?
A: Our products are cast in a custom-formulated polyurethane resin.

Q: Are your products 3D printed?
A: All Bone Clones® 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 casting in a custom-formulated polyurethane resin, we produce the finest replicas available. We are sometimes asked if our reproductions are 3D printed. 99% of our more than 2400 products are cast directly from original bone material, or from clay anatomical sculptures in the case of our Fossil Hominid line of products. 1% of our products (a little over 20) originated from 3D scans and prints. In those special cases, the print was used as a master cast from which molds were made and polyurethane casts were poured. We do not sell direct 3D prints. The reason we primarily use traditional molding and casting techniques is because the level of detail and fidelity to the original specimen is still far superior with molding and casting as compared to 3D scanning and printing.

Q: What's the difference between your Economy skulls and Regular?
A: Please see: About the Bone Clones® Economy Series

Q: Are your skulls and skeletons actual life size?
A: With a few exceptions our skulls and skeletons are actual life size. They are reproduced from real bones. Scaled items are identified as such, and can be found in the Scale Series category.

Q: Are your casts of skulls and skeletons based on real bones? How accurate are they?
A: We produce accurate skeletal models that are molded and cast directly from real skulls and skeletons (with the exception of our Fossil Hominid line of products, which are recreations based on the original bones). Our production process and quality control are designed to assure accuracy in all details of products and reproduce the actual size of the original.

Q: Are Bone Clones® skeletons accurate reproductions of human skeletons? Why are they more expensive than other skeletons I can buy?
A: Bone Clones® human skeletons are accurate osteological reproductions. They are produced to meet the needs of medical professionals that require precision in detail, and are used in medical schools to teach Advanced Anatomy. We are very selective in the originals we cast from, and concentrate on retaining the organic elements that are essential for advanced study in medicine and osteology. Why Choose Bone Clones is informative on this question.

Q: Are your skulls hinged? (jaw attached via flexible spring)
A: The only skulls that are hinged are the calvarium-cut skulls, as well as most of the skulls that are attached to our articulated skeletons. The rest are not hinged.

Q: How sturdy are your skulls? Can they take repeated handling in an educational setting?
A: Bone Clones® custom formulated resin is durable and resists breakage. While some of our skulls are more delicate than others (ex: bird or snake), with reasonable care all our specimens can be handled repeatedly in an educational setting.

Q: What is the difference between BC-018 and BC-067 Sabercats?
A: Both skulls (BC-018 Sabertooth Cat and BC-067 Deluxe Sabertooth Cat) are Smilodon fatalis.

 Size:  BC-067 is the larger of the two.

 Provenance:  BC-018 is part of the large collection belonging to the LACMNH, licensed to BC by the Museum.
 BC-067 was found on private land across the street from the LA tar pits.

 Septum:  Another important distinction is one can see through the septum of BC-067, and the septum of BC-018 is blocked.

Product Maintenance and Modification

Q: Our Bone Clones® casts are becoming quite dirty from handling and accidental pen markings. How do I clean them?
A: The "antique" skulls and other skeletal elements should be cleaned with a rag dampened with warm water and a small amount of mild soap. Gently clean and dry with a soft cloth. If some stains persist, then a diluted form of ordinary household alcohol will also work. However, it may remove some of the antique paint in sutures, so this should first be tested in a small area. The heavily painted products can be cleaned more aggressively with soap and water, but never use alcohol on them as it will probably remove a significant amount of the color. Likewise, never use acetone on heavily painted products. If you think your casts will get especially heavy use, we suggest coating them with a marine varnish finish.

Q: How can we repair broken casts?
A: Our Bone Clones® casts are quite durable and don't break easily. But if a cast does break, it can be repaired with Superglue, which should work unless there is some residue that prevents bonding. We suggest cleaning the two mating surfaces with acetone to be sure there is no residual barrier. When the two surfaces are clean, sparingly apply Superglue to one surface and press together. If the damage is extensive or is difficult to repair, Bone Clones can repair Bone Clones® products. Please contact customer service to discuss the nature of the repairs and the costs involved.

Q: How can I prevent the color/finish of my Bone Clones® cast from changing over time?
A: Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays is the source of changes in the color/finish of Bone Clones® casts. UV rays are emitted by both the sun and fluorescent light. So, the casts should not be placed in sunlight. If the casts must be exposed to fluorescent lighting, filters can be placed over the fluorescent lights to limit UV ray exposure. Incandescent lighting does not emit the damaging UV rays.

Q: How do your products do in extreme temperatures? Can they be outside for long periods?
A: Our products are polyurethane and are custom-formulated to withstand heat up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and cold below freezing. Above 120 degrees, the resin will get soft but will not melt. If the cast has delicate areas, such as the zygomatic arch, and a heavy item is placed on it during extreme heat, it might bend. Exposing Bone Clones® casts to sunlight (or florescent light) for prolonged periods may change the color/finish of the casts.

Q: What is the best way to color and stain a Bone Clones® product?
A: Most of our Bone Clones® casts come painted. If you intend to completely refinish a cast, the surface must first be treated with acetone to remove what you can of the existing paint or stain. Not all of it will come off. Our custom-formulated polyurethane resin can be easily painted with oil stains, enamels, water-based paints or dyes (inks). To prevent the finish from wearing away due to handling, we suggest a clear coat of lacquer applied sparingly. If heavy wear is expected, then we recommend a polyurethane or marine varnish finish.

Q: How workable is your material? Can it be filed, sanded, drilled, and machined?
A: Our products are made from polyurethane resin and are very workable. It can be sanded, drilled, and machined. There shouldn't be any heat buildup unless you're applying heat.

Q: I want to purchase a disarticulated skeleton but have never assembled one before. Do you provide any general directions for how to assemble a skeleton?
A: We sell many disarticulated skeletons and, on occasion, are asked how to assemble them.
Our disarticulated skeletons are bought for many reasons. Among them are: 1) To study the individual bones, 2) To exhibit individual or groups of bones, 3) For use in film or other media productions, 4) To save money and assemble the skeletons themselves, and 5) To assemble them as a student or educational project.

The disarticulated skeletons offered by Bone Clones are produced to appear like real bones that have either come out of the ground or through laboratory preparation. As such, there are no pins, mounting holes or anything resembling a kit. We also do not supply any instructions. We have over 40 years preparing and assembling skeletons and have developed many varied techniques to do so efficiently and accurately. Most Natural History Museums have also developed these techniques over many years. Depending on the final position and use, the variations of assembly procedures and techniques are endless.

We recommend that those wanting to assemble our skeletons either have sufficient experience articulating real or cast skeletons or are willing to experiment, innovate and learn. The casts are made from polyurethane, are easily drilled, and can be bonded with super glue or epoxy. Most disarticulated skeletons require the separate purchase of a thorax assembly (sternum and costal cartilage which connect the rib ends). With a pilot hole drilled, screws will bite well and hold (a touch of superglue will secure it even more). All the hardware we use can be purchased at a hardware or building supply store. And only normal hand and electric tools are needed. For those attempting to assemble for the first time as a student, educational or personal project, the process may, at times, be frustrating, but, in the end, will be extremely rewarding. As a group project the process will be as valuable as the final product.

DonorsChoose.org

Q: I would like to obtain Bone Clones products through DonorsChoose.org. However, the Donors Choose site limits the vendors from which projects can be selected. Do you know of any work around so that I can submit the project for the items I want for my students and not the versions available?
A: DonorsChoose.org Teachers who have at least 6 points can submit a Special Request for outside vendors, so they can submit a Special Request project for products at Bone Clones. Please visit this page for assistance.

Fossil Hominids

The Bone Clones® Hominid line is composed of discoveries from anatomically modern humans, archaic humans, early Homo, early hominins, and other hominids. The majority of the casts in this line have been recreated by our team of anatomical sculptors. Some are reconstructions made by anthropology professionals using fragmentary elements from original discoveries and extrapolating the missing parts from those (i.e. Neanderthal skeleton). A small portion of the hominin line has been cast from original material.

Our decision to begin producing sculpted casts of fossil hominids, beginning around 2000, was largely in response to numerous requests from professors and educators in the field of biological anthropology. They were seeking high-quality casts that would reproduce the original specimens as accurately and faithfully as possible.

At that time, casts made directly from original specimens were generally unavailable or extremely difficult to obtain. Several companies were producing sculpted representations of hominid fossils, but the educators who approached us expressed concerns regarding the quality and accuracy of the available products. Because they were familiar with the quality and standards of our existing products, they encouraged us to explore the possibility of producing hominid casts to the same high standards.

Over the years, we made extensive efforts to obtain access to original specimens for the purpose of producing molds and casts. Although we established numerous contacts and had discussions with representatives of institutions and countries where the original fossils are held, in many cases it was not possible to obtain the necessary access. We fully understand and respect the care and responsibility associated with granting access to irreplaceable fossil specimens.

In response to the continuing demand from educators, we undertook a comprehensive evaluation of the feasibility of producing sculpted recreations of fossil specimens. As part of this effort, we engaged the expertise of biological anthropologists and commissioned highly skilled anatomical sculptors to develop these representations.

Extensive review and analysis of the anthropological literature, including published osteological data pertaining to the specimens, form the foundation of our research and development process. In addition, we consult with paleoanthropologists and other subject-matter experts throughout the development process to help ensure that each recreation is produced with the greatest possible degree of anatomical accuracy and scientific integrity.

It is important to emphasize that producing sculpted recreations was not our first preference. Whenever possible, our preference has always been to obtain authorized access to original specimens and produce molds and casts directly from those originals. Ideally, we would have preferred to work with the institutions that curate these specimens under an arrangement whereby appropriate royalties would be paid to the institution, thereby contributing to and supporting continued research. This remains our preferred approach.

Fossil hominids constitute a very small portion of our overall product line. With only a few exceptions, they are the only specimens that we sculpt rather than mold and cast directly from originals. Approximately 60 hominid skulls represent fewer than 2% of our nearly 3,000 products. The overwhelming majority of our other specimens are molded and cast from the best original specimens available to us. Our objective throughout this process has been to respond to the legitimate needs of the educational community while maintaining the highest standards of quality, accuracy, and respect for the scientific institutions and researchers responsible for these important specimens.

Q: Is it possible to use your hominid skulls to measure cranium volume, or are the skulls shaped on the outside only? Are the outsides to scale?
A: No, it is not possible to take cranial volume measurements from our hollow casts. On the other hand, exterior osteological measurements fall in a range of reasonable accuracy, as our molding and casting processes use published osteological data when preparing and producing the casts. One note of caution, however: it is our position that NO casts, neither Bone Clones® products nor other replicas should be used for scientific measurements or quantitative research. Such replicas are intended solely for educational purposes, including training, instruction, and general study.

3D Scanning & Printing of Bone Clones® Products

As a condition of purchase, purchaser agrees to refrain from unauthorized 3-D scans or duplication of the Bone Clones® product. Any reproduction of this product in any form is forbidden by law, unless prior written permission has been obtained from Bone Clones. All rights reserved.

Further Explanation:

We are sometimes asked permission to digitally scan a Bone Clones® product in order to make commercial use of the file including, but not limited to, the right to create 3-D prints using current or future technology.

We can't agree to these requests, and we wanted to take the time to explain why we have this policy. Bone Clones invests considerable time and money in locating high-quality original specimens that we intend to use as the basis for our product. In the nature of things, virtually every product that we sell reflects a considerable amount of meticulous preparatory and sculptural work to achieve a final product that lives up to our exacting standards. We then recoup our investment by selling copies of these works. Most of our product catalog is copyrighted, because most of the products that we sell embody creative contributions from the artisans and others who were involved in creating the work.

We do not customarily grant licenses to third parties to duplicate our product. We're concerned that if we authorize digital copies of our works, we will lose control of the duplication process, and that would eventually make it difficult for us to recoup our investment.

If we can be of further service please do not hesitate to Contact Us.

Disclaimer on Ancestry Assessment

The assessment of ancestry from human skeletal remains, particularly the skull, is a component historically included in the creation of a biological profile for forensic purposes. This practice involves the analysis of morphoscopic traits and metric variables that may exhibit population-specific patterns of variation. However, it is important to recognize the significant scientific and ethical limitations of this practice.

Race is not a biologically valid concept. Contemporary biological anthropology holds that race is a social construct with no discrete biological basis. Human variation exists on a continuum, shaped by complex interactions between genetics, environment, and culture—not distinct "racial" categories. Therefore, the identification of "race" or "ancestry" based solely on skeletal features is scientifically problematic and cannot be performed with high accuracy or precision.

Although some morphological traits of the cranium may reflect broad population-level patterns due to shared evolutionary history, these traits do not map neatly onto socially defined racial categories. Furthermore, categories such as “Asian,” “European,” or “African” are socially constructed labels that do not fully capture genetic or phenotypic diversity, and they should not be interpreted as exact or absolute identifiers. As such, ancestry estimation based on skeletal features should not be interpreted as the identification of race, and results should be presented with appropriate caution and clear communication of limitations.

Historically, law enforcement agencies have requested ancestry estimations as part of forensic reports. However, many biological anthropologists today are increasingly hesitant to include this component, as doing so may inadvertently reinforce outdated and harmful typological thinking—the idea that humans can be classified into discrete biological "types" based on physical features. Such typologies have a long and problematic history and are not supported by modern science.

In cases where ancestry estimation is included, it is done with the understanding that it is a probabilistic assessment—not a definitive classification—and it must be contextualized within a broader ethical framework that prioritizes scientific integrity, individual dignity, and the avoidance of reinforcing racial stereotypes.