Until now (when I did the research for this article) I was sure that it was impossible for identical twins to have different fathers. Well, science tells me that it is NOT only possible but more common than most people think.
Shockingly, one study estimates that as many as 1 in 400 sets of fraternal twins is "bipaternal" (born from sperm from two different individuals.)
How is it possible? Simple: Two eggs from the same mother get fertilized by two different fathers – within the same ovulation period.
Well let's start with the example of animals. Female dogs ovulate multiple eggs and when a dog is in heat, any male dog in the vicinity will attempt to mount her, so each egg could be fertilized by a different father, producing a litter of puppies that don't resemble each other in the slightest.
Humans aren't dogs, of course, and most of the time, women ovulate only one healthy egg per cycle. Fraternal twins occur when women ovulate two healthy eggs and both get fertilized. And every now and then, "superfecundation" happens: Two eggs are ovulated during the same cycle and fertilized at different points within the five-day fertility window, resulting in a bouncing pair of twins.
When we see twins, we may assume that both eggs were fertilized during a single act of intercourse. But it's quite possible for one egg to be fertilized during one act of intercourse, and the other during another. For example, consider a couple that has a morning quickie, followed by a more leisurely round that evening.
It's therefore only logical, then, that when a woman has sex with more than one man while she's fertile, "heteropaternal superfecundation" can occur. That is, each egg can be fertilized by a different father.
Shocking to say the least knowing the habits of the modern woman.
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So how were the two twins identical when the two girls had different fathers?
ReplyDeleteUnless the fathers themselves were identical?