Identical twin mystery: DNA signature likely the root cause, reveals Dutch study

Spotting identical twins in public is always fascinating and adding to this fascination, scientists from the Netherlands have claimed to solve the mystery of what makes a twin identical. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study suggests that a unique “signature” on the shared genes between the zygote is responsible for this biological process.

What causes the formation of twins?

Twins are generally formed when the zygote, a scientific term for the fertilised egg, splits in two but has the same set of genes. However, scientists have still been unable to determine what causes the zygote-separation or monozygotic twinning. As of now, the common belief about the birth of identical twins has been thought of as a random biological process. 

Identical twins share a “signature” on DNA

International researchers from the Netherlands-based Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stated that they are sure about a common DNA signature being the root cause for the birth of identical twins, as per The Guardian. The experts reportedly studied epigenetic modifications that switch the genes on and off without changing the sequence of the DNA of twins. 

Cementing the experts’ claims, the study found that 834 points of the genome in all the twins in the world shared a similar mark. A genome is a term used for the sum total of an organism’s genetic information. As per the scientists, this new information can be used to determine if a zygote has turned into an identical twin, with 80% accuracy. 

In fact, this information can even help in tracking vanishing twin syndrome, a condition where a mother doesn’t even know that she had a twin, or in situations where the twins get separated. In fact, nearly 12% of human pregnancies start as multiple embryos but less than 2% carry to term, said The Guardian’s report.

However, calling the genetic signature as the accurate reasoning of twins being perceived still needs further work, said The Guardian’s report. In an interview with Science News, Nancy Segal, a developmental psychologist at California State University called this finding extremely important as this would help in tackling a variety of conditions that identical twins are predisposed to from the very beginning.

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