African-American individuals who are assigned female at birth have a higher chance of having twins compared to people of other races. Asian Americans and Native Americans have the lowest rates for twins. Meanwhile, white individuals assigned female at birth have the highest rate of having higher-order multiple births, like triplets or more.
The phrase “mirror twin” is used to talk about a special kind of identical, or monozygotic, twin pair. These twins look like they’re looking in a mirror because their special traits, like birthmarks, dominant hands, or other features, are on opposite sides.
Typically, older women have a greater likelihood of conceiving twins compared to younger women. A woman who is 35 years old is four times more likely to have fraternal twins. As women approach menopause, they undergo hormonal changes, leading to an increase in their follicle-stimulating hormone levels.
Much like your fingerprint, your teeth are entirely unique to you. Dental records can even help identify human remains because even identical twins possess different teeth. As a side note, your tongue has its own distinct print that is also unlike anyone else’s.
Identical twins have the same blood type, although we have seen an extremely rare exception. In contrast, fraternal twins can either have the same blood type or different blood types.
The answer may surprise you! While identical twins always have the same biological father, fraternal twins can have different fathers. This can happen if a woman has sexual intercourse with two different men around the same time when both embryos are conceived. While it is not common, we have seen this happen several times over …
Yes. The likelihood of having fraternal twins is greater in families with a genetic predisposition. However, it’s important to note that individuals without a family history of twins can still have twins. Various other factors also play a role in determining the chances of having twins.
No. Identical twins, who share the same DNA and often look very similar, will have slightly different fingerprints. This happens because fingerprints are shaped by a combination of genetic and environmental factors during their development in the womb.
Only a few genes are firmly connected to hyper-ovulation, so it seems like it’s the overall genetics from the mother’s side that play a part in the chances of having fraternal twins. However, on the father’s side, there’s no evidence that it increases the likelihood of having twins.
Identical twins can be born as either boys (XY) or girls (XX). They are always the same gender, but it’s more common for them to be girls (XX) than boys (XY).