Can I Have Twins Even If They Don't Run in my Family?

  This article discusses the role of genetics in determining the probability of having twins. It explains that the likelihood of conceiving twins is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Monozygotic (identical) twins occur when a single fertilized egg splits into two embryos, while dizygotic (fraternal) twins occur when two separate eggs are fertilized by two different sperm cells. While the occurrence of monozygotic twins is generally not strongly linked to genetics, dizygotic twinning is more likely to run in families. Factors such as hyperovulation, maternal age, ethnic background, and assisted reproductive technologies can also influence the chance of having twins. Additionally, the article provides references to scientific journal articles for further reading on the topic. I found this article very interesting because I always thought that fraternal and identical twins were essentially the same thing, both running in families. I think lots of people believe this too, because I have heard people saying identical twins run in their family. This article disproves this though, basically saying that while fraternal wins usually can be traced back a few generations, identical twins are just a really cool magic trick that occurs during pregnancy and can really happen to anyone regardless of their family line!

 

Sources : 

1. https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/twins/

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18024802/

First Semi-Identical Twins

According to Science Daily, boy and girl twins have been identified as only the second set of semi-identical or sesquizcgotic twins in the world. They are also the first to be identified by doctors during pregnancy. The mothers ultrasound at six weeks showed a single placenta and positioning of amniotic sacs that indicated that she was expecting identical twins. At 14 weeks these identical twins have showed to be female and male. As most people know, identical female and male twins are not possible. However, in this case, they are.

Doctors state that the mothers egg was fertilized by two of the fathers sperm before dividing. Doctor Gabbett states that in this case, the fertilized egg appears to have equally divided up the three sets of chromosomes into groups of cells which then split into two, creating twins. Some of the cells have the chromosomes from the first sperm, while the remaining cells contain chromosomes from the second sperm, which results in the twins to share only a portion, rather than 100% of the same paternal DNA.
This is the second case which has not taken place since 2007 in United States. Mostly fraternal twins are highly possible for boy and a girl. The doctors are still studying this case, and are hoping for the mother to have a successful pregnancy so this could be further documented. I believe that with this new fertilization, doctors are able to identify, the how and the why of this pregnancy and would be able to procreate this method, since artificial insemination is now highly popular.

Can Twins Sense Each Other's Pain and Emotion?

         

     According to Dr. Nancy L. Segal in her book, Entwined Lives, she states, “There is no evidence that twins’ similarities are caused by mental communication between them.”  Another Doctor, Dr. Eileen Pearlman said, “There has been no scientific evidence to support ESP in twins.” Although doctors have not found significant evidence scientifically, there are multiple stories of twins that prove this statement might be false. For example, in the article called, I had morning sickness and my twin didn't even know she was pregnant': Meet the identical twins who feel each other's pain, get ill at the same time and can read their sibling's mind, identical twins Angela King and Elena Gatt explained to the rest of us how they could feel each other’s pain – even halfway across the world. One day, Elena fell down a flight of stairs at the Tower of London and injured her leg. Angela, who was thousands of miles away, felt pain in the exact leg at the exact time that her sister did. This is amazing and cannot be made up. These events are what spark scientists minds to try and figure out exactly how twins brains work. Personally, I believe that there is not a connection between twins. Even though twins are born in the same womb at the same time they are still two different people. They do think differently because they are their own person living their own lives. Even though most of the time twins are together during childhood, each twin has their own mind and feelings. But, what makes my decision hard is the personal stories that twins experience. These personal stories are real evidence of twins’ sensing each other’s pain. 

https://www.verywell.com/twin-telepathy-2447130

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3090703/I-morning-sickness-twin-didn-t-know-pregnant-Meet-identical-twins-feel-s-pain-ill-time-read-sibling-s-mind.html