Why Lucy & Maria look so different even though they are twins?
Non-identical twins come from separate eggs, so inherit different genes. The girls’ half-Jamaican mother carries genes for both white and black skin. By chance, Lucy will have inherited genes for white skin and Maria will have genes that code for black skin.
How do twin sisters look so different?
Identical twins came from the same sperm and egg, so they have the same chromosomes and genes. As identical twins get older they may look more and more different, because they are exposed to more diverse environments. The science of epigenetics explains how these environmental influences can affect the genes.
Can twins look completely different?
At first blush it might seem impossible they could look so different. After all, while huge differences can and do happen with fraternal twins, identical twins are usually exactly that — identical in skin, hair and eye color.
Who are the Aylmer twins?
In 1996, Donna and Vince Aylmer had the surprise of the lives when they found out that they weren’t just expecting their fourth child, they were going to be welcoming a fifth one too. On January 16, 1997, the couple welcomed twin girls, Lucy and Maria, into the family.
Is it possible for twins to have different skin colors?
Biracial twins are twins who do not share the same skin color. They can be born when one parent or both parents are of a mixed race, allowing for different skin tone variations. They can also be born when the parents are different races, such as one Black parent and one White parent.
How can Lucy and Maria be twins if they have different skin colors?
By chance, Lucy will have inherited genes for white skin and Maria will have genes that code for black skin. This increases the chance of them passing on a gene for white skin to at least one twin.
How is it possible that fraternal twins could look so different from one another?
This fertilised egg is called a zygote. Sometimes a woman’s ovaries release two eggs, and two separate sperm fertilise each egg. This forms twins. Often, same-sex fraternal twins look different – for example, they might have different hair or eye colour.
Why are Lucy and Maria different?
Needless to say, Lucy and Maria are not identical twins – they are dizygotic twins. When two eggs are independently fertilized by two different sperm cells, fraternal twins result. They are so different because the eggs from which they come from were fertilized by two different sperm cells.
Is it possible for a twin to have different father?
In rare cases, fraternal twins can be born from two different fathers in a phenomenon called heteropaternal superfecundation. Although uncommon, rare cases have been documented where a woman is pregnant by two different men at the same time.
Why do some twins look the same?
Because identical twins come from a single zygote that splits in two, they have exactly the same genes – exactly the same recipe. They will both have the same coloured eyes and hair, and will look the same.