Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic (“identical”), meaning that they can develop from just one zygote that will then split and form two embryos, or dizygotic (“fraternal”), meaning that they can develop from two different eggs.
Women who have a family history of fraternal twins have a higher chance of producing fraternal twins themselves, as there is a genetically linked tendency to hyper-ovulate. There is no known genetic link for identical twinning.
Europe has intermediate rates of 9 to 16 twin sets per 1,000 live births.
We love stories where someone discovers a long-lost family treasure or history, and the joy it brings them; but sometimes, recovering something that was lost isn’t about the what, but who. In 1936, twin sisters Elizabeth Hamel and Ann Hunt were separated when their mother realized she couldn’t afford to keep both.
Their mother was an unwed woman and their father disappeared shortly after their birth. Knowing that it would be hard to care for both girls, she decided to do what she thought would be best so that the girls would not suffer.
Ann was given up for adoption, and never even knew she had a twin sister until 2013. At the suggestion of her daughter, she decided to look for her real family. That was when she discovered that she had a twin sister!
See their emotional reunion in the following clip from BBC News.
What would you do if you found out that you had been adopted and you have a twin somewhere out there in the world? Use the comments section below and share your thoughts. We’d love to hear from you!
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