They’re being called semi-identical twins and a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that such twins are extraordinarily rare. The only other reported case was uncovered in 2007.
LONDON - Doctors in Australia say they have identified a second case of twins apparently created from one egg and two sperm, a boy-girl combination in whom the mother’s DNA is identical in both babies but the father’s DNA varies in each twin.“This is confirming there is this third type of twinning where it’s not fraternal and it’s not identical.
In the case of the Australian twins, who live in Brisbane and are now 4-and-a-half years old, the mother’s egg was fertilized with one sperm carrying an X chromosome and one with a Y. Because an ultrasound taken early in the pregnancy showed that both fetuses shared the same placenta, doctors assumed the fetuses were identical twins.
The twin boy and girl were found to have 100% of their mother’s DNA in common, but were only 78% identical in the paternal DNA they carry.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Doctor performs first 5G surgery in step towards robotics ‘dream’Next-generation wireless technology is taking the medical world a crucial step closer to robots performing remotely-controlled surgery.
Read more »
Two shot dead, one injured in Edenvale High School robbery | IOL NewsA shooting incident at Edenvale High School has left at least two people dead and one injured, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
Read more »
Pot-smokers may have healthier sperm
Read more »
Two new R Kelly accusers speak outTwo women say singer R. Kelly picked them out of a crowd at a Baltimore after-party in the mid-1990s when they were underage.
Read more »
New Ebola case in eastern DR Congo, first in 23 daysThe health ministry said the new case of Ebola had been discovered in the conflict-wracked Beni region.
Read more »
New Ebola case in eastern DR Congo, first in 23 daysA new case of Ebola has been confirmed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in an area where authorities believed the epidemic had been brought under control after 23 days without any fresh infections. In an update issued on Friday, the health ministry said the new case had been discovered in the conflict-wracked Beni region.
Read more »