Our Company
Spinosaurus is the online store of Eldonia , specialist in the preparation and sale of fossils and casts.
Since 2002, Eldonia has been working in collaboration with museums, artists and independent collectors in order to offer quality pieces. We are committed to carrying out your preparation projects and offering you quality objects and specimens at the best prices. We also offer life-size specimen rental services, introductory courses in preparation and excavations, and finally we remain at your disposal to meet your identification needs.
François Escuillié , paleontologist and director of Eldonia holds conferences and works with museums and universities to publish scientific articles on paleontology and evolution. With its team of several preparers, a welder, handlers and administration, Eldonia is one of the largest preparation companies in the world. And it is also its international influence that makes its reputation.
Spinosaure.com is just a showcase of Eldonia's work, find out more by visiting our workshop and showroom (reservation required by phone or email).
Our team
Direction
Administration
Lab
Agents
Francois Escuillié
Director, paleontologist
Isabelle Escuillié
Director
Marine Matringhem
Executive assistant, communications manager
Cedric Coutarel
Base welder
Christophe Lafont
Preparator
Alexandre Henriot
Preparator
Celestine Coclez
Preparator, website
Loris Grimaudo
Preparator
Theo Richard
3D printing
Denis Messant
Multi-purpose agent
Joel Lafont
Maintenance agent
Reports
Update in progress
Making a Living Selling Dinosaurs, VICE
Collaboration with museums
Eldonia works with French and foreign museums, both public and private.
-
Natural History Museums of Nantes, Toulouse, Lyon, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Dijon, etc.
-
Paleospace Villers sur Mer
-
Oceanographic Museum of Monaco
-
City of Dinard
-
Mineralogical Clubs
Installation of 2 turtles at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco: a fossil turtle Allopleurodon and a replica of a large fossil turtle Archelon .
Installation of the Camarasaure at the Musée des Confluences in Lyon
Update in progress
-
In 2009, clearing and preparation of a block of ammonites from the Drôme, for the Natural History Museum of Grenoble.
-
In 2010, release, restoration and assembly of a Rhinoceros for the Natural History Museum of Toulouse.
-
In 2011, excavation, restoration and assembly of an Oreodont for the Musée des Confluences in Lyon.
-
In 2011, excavation, restoration and assembly of a Pterosaur for the Toulon Museum.
-
In 2011, release and restoration of a Cormorant for an exhibition at the Orléans Museum.
-
In 2013, release of a marine reptile for the Natural History Museum of Marseille
-
In 2013 and 2014, restoration and basement of a Camarasaurus and a Mosasaur for the Natural History Museum of Lyon. These specimens are now exhibited at the new Musée des Confluences in Lyon.
The articles
Below are some of the scientific articles to which François Escuillié has collaborated.
Halskaraptor Escuilliei
Synchrotron scanning reveals amphibious ecomorphology in a new clade of bird-like dinosaurs
Phosphatherium escuilliei
New data on Phosphatherium escuilliei (Mammalia, Proboscidea) from the Lower Eocene of Morocco, contributions to the phylogeny of Proboscidea and lophodont ungulates
Eosinopteryx brevipenna
Reduced plumage and flight ability of a new Jurassic paravian theropod from China
Fossil from Lebanon
The Cenomanian: stage of bipedal snakes
Bruxière-les-mines
Bruxière-les-mines (Allier, France), an important Permian paleontological site (re)exploited in Auvergne: industry/paleontology cooperation
Saint-Gerand-le-Puy
Caddisfly pupae from the Miocene industrial limestone of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy, France
Billy-Crechy
The Oligocene-Miocene boundary in Limagne: faunal changes in mammals, birds and ostracods from the different levels of Billy-Créchy (Allier, France)
The exhibitions
Eldonia has designed or participated in the following exhibitions:
In 2009: Exhibition at the Paridis shopping center in Nantes
In 2012, Paléopolis Park in Gannat: prefiguration exhibition
In 2014, City of Dinard: “Mimosa season” exhibition
In 2022: exhibition "Rahan
In 2023: City of ...: exhibition for the opening of the shopping center
In 2024: City of Gannat: exhibition at the Yves Machelon museum
In 2024: City of Digoin: exhibition “Pôles: last wild continent”
Update in progress
Artistic collaboration
Eldonia collaborates with many paleoartists by providing them with molds and castings as well as knowledge and techniques to carry out their artistic projects.
-
Fabrizion Lavagna
Work by Fabrizion Lavagna, film by Joël Réjant
-
Philippe Pasqua
Under the direction of the artist Philippe Pasqua, Eldonia has created a work of considerable size: the whale Narcissus is 16 m long and weighs nearly 800 kg. It was exhibited in 2018 at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. Eldonia also provided a giant turtle (Archelon), baby T. rex and a Megalodon jaw. In the film below by Joël Réjant, you can find the report of this exhibition, from its conception to its finality.
-
François Lasserre
"The choice of fossils, the metamorphosis, the accuracy, the materials, the evolution, the improvements, the differentiation, the transition and the choice of patinas are then a challenge to immortalize with virtuosity these vestiges in this noble material that is Bronze. It is important to know that each wax taken from an original required a whole work of restructuring and sculpture on the wax live. A fossil is never complete nor necessarily beautiful because parts are often missing. It is then necessary to imagine the continuation by carrying out not a scientific restoration but rather an artistic sculpture of these pieces while trying to preserve their soul."
Paleontological bronzes and paintings by François Lassere
Find his works at the exhibition and for sale in his gallery in Charroux (03). Contact at 06 81 56 36 94
