What do scientists think about WONDER Artistic Models?
From the beginning we always wanted to make updated reconstructions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beings with the idea of transmitting and communicating discoveries and theories using the fun of putting together a 3D wooden puzzle. What we did not imagine was that, in addition to the public that is attracted to the subject and fans (like us), also people who dedicate their lives to related sciences such as paleontology, geology, biology and the like would be interested in our creations.
The first big surprise would come to us one night in July 2020, when the brand was just coming to light. Diego Mattarelli, a member of the team of paleontologists who discovered the fossil of a Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus tail, wrote to us on social networks to tell us that the model was very well made and that he wanted to have one in his home, thus becoming the first model sold and, of course, in our first client. What a way to start!!
Dr. Diego Mattarelli
Paleontologist member of the Vertebrate Division of the Natural History Museum of Milan, Italy
Member of the team that discovered the tail of Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus in Morocco, officially published in April 2020
“When I saw the Spinosaurus aegyotiacus on the web I was amazed to see that after such a short time since the publication of our article in Nature there was already on the market a wooden version that seemed so precise.
I was curious to see it up close and see how much our findings and reconstructions really took into account.
The model absolutely met my expectations! Being a wooden model to assemble, once finished it looked exactly as we imagined. And, on the shelf at home, it looks like a real Spinosaurus skeleton.
Like I said, I was incredibly surprised at how faithfully it adhered to the designs of the original fossil, but other than that, I loved the packaging that looks like a precious old package. And then I really enjoyed assembling it – all the pieces fit together perfectly!
I did not find any negative sides to the model in general, my rating for this model is 10! And I am sure that whatever the next WONDER Artistic Models model is, they will do it well and with passion!”
Dr. Scott Johnston
Paleontologist, fossil preparer and scientific communicator
Vertebrate Paleontology Technician and Preparator at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology
“The main reason I decided to purchase WONDER Artistic Models products was to complement my work as a science communicator.
I was always missing something representative of the taxonomy of some groups that I didn’t have and WONDER has a very good selection.
Since I bought them I use them as a visual aid very efficiently. They are precise enough to pinpoint the features I want to highlight in them.”
“They are just beautiful, so I love using them to decorate my lab”
“I am completely amazed by the attention to detail in these models. They even described lesser-known features of the dinosaurs.
I would be impressed with this level of detail in any prehistoric animal skeleton model, much more than the ones that are laser cut.
I also love the poses they have. They are all in dynamic poses, they always appear to be moving in some direction, or walking or running and, for lack of a better term, appear to be alive. On top of that you can pose them and they are articulated. Its level of customization is incredible.
I would honestly say that there is nothing about these models that I don’t like at all.
They are incredible!”
@mrdrprofjohnston / @trxdinosaurs
Dr. David Rubilar Rogers
Head of the Paleontology Area of the National Museum of Natural History of Chile
“With my fantastic models of Chilean dinosaurs: Atacamatitan and Arackar. Amazing work by WONDER Artistic Models, highly recommended for paleo fans!”
During the exhibition “Science and Art: the role of dinosaurs”, presented at the National Museum of Natural History of Chile in which we participated (you can see more details by clicking here), we were in direct contact with Dr. David Rubilar, head of the Paleontology area of said Museum, who liked our work very much and wanted to have WONDER models in his collection.
And what better than the Atacamatitan chilensis and Arackar licanantay, which represent two Chilean species of great importance not only for the region, but for paleontology worldwide, and which were specially designed for the Museum’s exhibition.
Dr. Martín Chávez Hoffmeister
Vice President of the Chilean Association of Paleontology
Associate Researcher, Paleontology Laboratory, Institute of Earth Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia
“What I liked the most about the model is that it is definitely innovative, it has a lot of anatomical details that are not common in these types of wooden figures. It is detailed enough that I can even show it in class and teach the anatomy of animals.
It is also noted that they are becoming closer to the real morphology of these animals and that, for a collector and an expert in fossils, is, of course, highly appreciated. They are such well-made models that they can be used for educational purposes.”
@chavezhoffmeister / @paleoaeolos
Dr. Roberto Díaz Sibaja (PALAEOS)
Doctor in Biological Sciences, Paleontologist, Researcher and science communicator
Member of the scientific research and communication youtube channel “palaeos”
Dr. Roberto Sibaja, in addition to being a renowned paleontologist, is a great scientific communicator through different media. You can see part of his great work on the YouTube channel “PALAEOS, the history of life on Earth”, as well as on social networks with the same name.
If you like to be up-to-date with well-founded and truthful scientific information, the content shared on PALAEOS is one of the best options you can find on the Internet.
In the video you will see a timelapse of the assembly carried out by Dr. Sibaja, while you listen to him commenting on the experience that allowed him to assemble our model of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, as well as his verdict on this piece.
YouTube PALAEOS / facebook.com/palaeos / @palaeos
Dr. Cary Woodruff
CURATOR OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY AT THE PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE IN MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA.
Sauropod Specialist.
“The level of detail and anatomical accuracy in the photos of each model was stunning, and I couldn’t wait to see how that detail was achieved through the assembly process.
The models exceeded my expectations!
Admittedly, I am not a very big fan of, nor very good at puzzles. But, for a puzzle-challenged person such as myself, the step-by-step guide and assembly process were generally very straightforward and intuitive.
I just love looking at them. Accurate skeletal models are practically nonexistent, and like a piece of IKEA furniture, there’s also a bit of pride that even I could successfully assemble such great pieces.”
@DoubleBeam
Thomas Dudgeon
PhD student and Vanier Scholar at the University of Toronto, where he studies the evolution and ecology of duck-billed dinosaurs.
“I had high expectations for WONDER models, since I had heard so many good things from other palaeontologists online.
I’m really impressed with the quality of the product, and it absolutely met my expectations. It’s accurate, detailed and easy to build, which I think is a hard combination to find.
My favourite aspect was the satisfaction of assembling the model. I had no issues with pieces being too loose or not fitting, and the result is a great decoration piece for my office.”
@Tom_Dudgeon
Photo: Thomas Dudgeon with his Iguanodon in front of the Royal Ontario Museum hadrosaur skulls.
Ulices Adolfo Carrillo
Biologist and scientific communicator
Museum of the Institute of Geology of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM)
“In general I liked everything, it seems to me a very good job and above all an excellent use of wood materials.
I will use the model mainly for informative purposes, for the talks I do about Mosasaurs.. It will be very useful for me to explain the morphology of the extremities such as the skull and the tail, to be clearer when teaching how their adaptations were from the marine to the terrestrial environment. But also to admire the piece and play with it, that’s also a possibility.”
facebook.com/ulices.adolfo.carrillo
@geoxplora
Andrea Yévenes
Paleobotany and scientific communicator
“I had high expectations, as I have been following the work of WONDER Artistic Models for a long time and in their publications I have always noticed the quality of the work and the details. The Chilesaurus model met my expectations and more!
It is very pleasing that the models, and in particular the Chilesaurus model, present correct anatomical characteristics with respect to the scientific information that we have about these animals. In addition, the quality of the material is very good and when assembled it is perfect.
I will use the Chilesaurus model to generate content for scientific communication and in face-to-face talks, since I feel that it is an excellent resource for education.”
@paleo_andrea
Kieran Satchell Bsc Hons
Paleontologist and scientific communicator
“As a kid I wanted anything and everything related to dinosaurs. However, the one thing I remember that never really interested me was wooden dinosaur skeleton puzzles.
I remember being very picky about accuracy and not liking them because I distinctly remember thinking they looked silly. However, the WONDER models have completely changed my opinion of wooden dinosaur models and if only they had been available to me as a kid, I certainly would have wanted them!
Wonder Artistic Models has proven that classic wooden skeleton models can be kid-friendly and scientifically accurate without compromising the fun of building.
I exceptionally love my Stegosaurus model as the pose reminds me of our Sophie at the Natural History Museum in London.”
@paleokieran_bsc
Franco L. De Cicco
Traumatologist and medical illustrator
“I met these amazing models while walking through a shopping mall in Santiago. The attraction was immediate and without even thinking about it, I decided to take two models with me.
Although I had seen wooden buildable models as a child, I was surprised by the level of detail and precision, making them something new.
I did not find any difficulties in assembling them and not to mention the presentation that is neat, careful and sustainable.
I will certainly continue the collection and challenge WONDER Artistic Models to explore with evolutionary models of the human being.”
@fdc.medicalillustration
