are she and cynthia identical or fraternal twins?
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P3charmed — 21 years ago(March 17, 2005 08:33 AM)
they cannotbe identical, obviously because they arent identical. the fact that they are different in hieght says they have a different gene make up, proving that their DNA is not a match. They are the same type of twins as Mary-Kate and Ashley. they look a lot a like, and carry a grand handful of characteristics but they 5b4are definitly not identical.
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rtyall — 21 years ago(March 17, 2005 01:53 PM)
Environmental conditions can have just as dramtic an effect on height, etc. As well as what you eat, what diseases/ailments you've contracted, accidents, etc.
Often identical twins differ slightly from each other, becoming more and more noticable with age. -
marksgirl — 20 years ago(November 07, 2005 11:42 PM)
I know this is REALLY belated but thanks for everyone who responded to this.(I'm the initial poster). I suppose it's true that they ARE identical twins. hehe, I ended up losing the bet but in the end that guy I made it with never collected on the lunch, so yay!!
great gifts.check out
www.giftlinx.com -
nadjadee-1 — 21 years ago(March 22, 2005 11:10 PM)
Hi everyone. Well, I worked as the camera assistant with Cynthia and Brittany for almost 2 years, and got to know them pretty well. I can tell you, from them directly, they are identical twins, not fraternal. As to the "rumored" height differenceI dont know whats up with that. But they are identical, Cynthia once talked about it to me.
At the time of Sweet Valley High, it was interesting to note that Cynthia smoked, but was a vegetarian. While Brittany didnt smoke but she ate meat.
Nadja Dee Tanaka -
hmichs — 21 years ago(March 30, 2005 12:48 PM)
Just because the word "identical" is used doesn't mean you are supposed to use the extreme definition of the word. Sure they have the same dna but it's still different. For example, if someone murders a kid and the murderer has an identical twin, through forensics you can determine which twin is the murderer through dna. There is so much variation in human dna and characteristics that even identical twins will have some differences.
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Van_Chick — 21 years ago(March 30, 2005 11:49 PM)
Actually hmichs, that's incorrect.
Identical twins have identical DNA. For forensics to work they look at other factors in samples such as medications that one twin may take but not the other.
Fraternal twins can also look very much alike so it's hard to tell. The only way to know that the twin are identical without doing a DNA is to look at the placenta but that only works about 5% of the time correctly according to my doctor friend.
Most twins never know or just assume that they are identical because they look alike, so it could be that Brittany and Cynthia don't know and just assume th1354ey are. Apparently many twins get an inexpensive DNA test done out of curiosity to see for sure. If they don't see a genetic variance they are identical. My friend has done a few of these tests for multiple births and remembers a couple sets that were told all along that they were identical and looked so much alike but were found to be fraternal. She remembered reading too that statistics in North America are that about only 1/5 sets of multiple births is accurate in assuming whether or not they are identical.
So who knows -
Van_Chick — 21 years ago(March 31, 2005 10:23 PM)
It's nearly impossible for them to know 100% whether or not the twins are identical or fraternal when pregnant.
One way to tell maybe if they're identical without DNA is that there is just one placenta for identical twins. However, some fraternal twins also have just one placenta and identical twins can have two placentas. Thus a true measure of assumption is, if there is one placenta and the twins appear identical they are more likely to be identical than fraternal. The easiest way to tell if they're fraternal is obviously if they look nothing alike or are of opposite sex.
However, no doctor will ever tell you what kind of twins you have to a certainty without a DNA test. My friend's clinic does them for $185 CDN. They swab their mouths and send the samples to a laboratory.
It's also roughly that 75% of twins are fraternal and only 25% are identical. -
chatterbox69 — 20 years ago(June 20, 2005 09:58 PM)
You are absolutely correct, VanChick. I am currently 8 months pregnant with twin girls, and have learned more about twins that I ever wanted to know! The ONLY way to tell if twins are identical or fraternal is a DNA test, unless of course there is one boy and one girl. The number of amniotic sacs and/or placentas is a clue, but not a 100% determinate. Identical twins can look different (ie different heights, slightly different facial structures) depending on environmental factors (nutrition, etc) or even on their development in the womb. Sometimes one identical twin can get more nutrients through their umbilical cord and this can have an effect on their physical development. At the same time, it's not uncommon for fraternal twins to look almost exactly alike (like Mary Kate and Ashley) even though their DNA may be different.
And it is pretty much impossible to know if they are identical or fraternal while you are still pregnant because you have to have a sample of their DNA, and even after they're born doctors will tell you to wait until they are at least six months old for the most accurate results.
Another interesting fact is that fraternal twins are the only ones who are genetic, identical twinning is totally random and can happen to anyone.
"I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, when he said, 'I drank what?'" -
passion4pink19 — 20 years ago(July 19, 2005 06:53 AM)
Fraternal twins are formed from 2 different eggs, forming 2 entirely different people. Identical twins are formed by the egg splitting in two. The daniel sisters are identical twins. The difference in height can be accounted for by thin16d0gs such as diet and health. The olsens are also identical.
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tony_area — 15 years ago(March 22, 2011 11:15 PM)
They're reportedly identical twins based on their DNA but they're also pretty much identical physically.
Check these pictures of the twins with the same hairstyle, makeup, facial expressions and similar clothes and they look like, nearly identical:
http://www.brittanydanielonline.com/image_gallery/details.php?image_id=6362
http://www.brittanydanielonline.com/image_gallery/details.php?image_id=1687
It's rather fascinating how hairstyle, makeup, clothing, facial expressions and their own distinctive personalities can make them look considerably different when they actually do look pretty much the same.
Check out this screen cap from Sweet Valley High in which Cynthia has a very Brittany-esque hairstyle and expressionshe looks pretty much like her twin sister:
http://www.brittanydanielonline.com/image_gallery/details.php?image_id=7726