Being a twin is a unique experience that is often misunderstood by those who are not twins themselves. In popular culture, being a twin is usually highlighted by having someone with whom you can dress like, someone you can play practical jokes on families and friends with by switching roles, and generally having someone by your side at all times. While all of this is true, there are other little-known facts about twins, including genetics and the probability of even having twins. Read on to learn more about the fascinating world of twins.
- Identical twins do not have the exact same fingerprints, even though they share almost matching DNA. This is due to the fact that fingerprints are not solely based on DNA.
- In the U.S., Massachusetts is the state with the highest percentage of twins, due to what researchers believe is the rising trend of wealthy career women living in the suburbs outside of Boston. This is because pregnancies in older women are more likely to result in twin births.
- Women who consume a lot of cheese are 5 times more likely to have twins than those who eat less according to this study.
- About 1 in 250 pregnancies end up with identical twin births.
- According to researchers at Umberto Castiello of the University of Padova in Italy, twins interact with one another while in the womb.
- Twins are not telepathic and cannot read each other’s minds, even if they do finish each other’s sentences.
- There is such thing as a secret twin language, especially when twins are very young. According to researchers, at least 40 percent of twins invent their own autonomous language.
- Twins can be mirror images of one another when they are formed from a single egg. For example, one will be right-handed while the other is left-handed.
- Taller women are more likely to have twins due to having a larger amount of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) than their shorter counterparts.
- It is possible for twins to have two different fathers, although it is quite rare.
- Dogs are able to tell identical twins apart, partly due to individual odors that each twin has.
- Despite appearances, twins prefer to have their own identity, especially as they grow older.
- Some conjoined twins can taste and feel what the other experiences, since they are connected at the head by a “thalamic bridge,” a section of the brain that processes most of the sensory input.
- Fraternal twins do not look identical because they were developed from two different eggs by two different sperm.
- A “parent-trap” switch is not just a thing in movies, since with identical twins it is easy to trick even friends or family members.
- Having twins run in the family is true for fraternal twins, but not identical ones.
- Twinning does not skip generations, contrary to popular belief.
- Mothers of twins are thought to live longer because they are seen as strong and healthy to be able to birth two children at once.
- Nigeria is the country that is known for having the highest birth rate of twins.
- China is the country with the lowest percentage of twin births, where 1 in 300 result in multiple births.
- 22 per cent of twins are born left-handed as opposed 10 per cent in non-twins.
- There are more twins being born in the U.S. than ever before. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, birth rates for twins have increased 70 per cent in the last 30 years.
- Vanishing twin syndrome occurs when 15-20 per cent of all twin pregnancies result in a miscarriage.
- Twins tend to be born early — over 50 per cent of twin births are before 37 weeks.
- The average weight for a twin at birth is 5 pounds and 5 ounces.
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