Identical twins are NOT Identical!

[nuthinbutpink]

Photos reveal differences between twins Photos | Photos reveal differences between twins Pictures - Yahoo! News

[Mochagirl]

My identical twins are definitely not 100% identical. Anyone who knows them can tell them apart no problem most of the time - they have different face shapes and always have. I even doubted they were identical when they were babies and had their DNA tested just to make sure...

[begonia]

Oh I read this article! I meant to post it here because I thought it was fascinating ... the article about twins is online here:
Twins - Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine

Mocha, my BFF is an identical twin, and while people who don't know them sometimes mistake them, they are pretty easy to tell apart IMHO. It's a facial structure thing, much like you said with your boys. We had a playdate today with DD2's best pals who are identical twin boys, and the older they get ... even these past 6 months ... the easier it is to tell them apart from even across the room.

[love being a mummy]

My mum was taller then her identical twin sister and their face shapes were slightly different.

[begonia]

That was one of the interesting things in the article about the twins ... the slight (and sometimes not so slight) differences, and some of it they chalked up to epigenetics. If you read anything about that it will lead you back to wondering how that impacts swaying. There are some intriguing potential links in all of it.

[atomic sagebrush]

Also, there are 'mirror image' identicals where they are genetically identical, but reversed, so their facial features are slightly tipped the opposite direction, their hair parts on opposite sides, and one is right handed, one left handed.

Crazily, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are NOT identical twins. They're fraternal and just happen to look alike!! o.O

[fresas]

That was a fantastic photo journal essay. My great uncles are identical twins and they look very alike, but there are some facial difference, especially with the brow bone and lip shape. One has since passed, but while they were alive, they were similar to each other in temperament and personality, too.

[Inglewood]

I am due identical twins apparently! But have been they will sent the placenta off for DNA analysis when they are born to make sure it's not 2 fused placenta's. The nat geographical article was good with all the pics. Did it not say that twins that share a placenta (ID twins) can be very different due to how each of them spend time in the womb environment and that can cause many differences. I know non-ID twins that are more alike than ID twins.

[ILindGurl]

fascinating. going to send this to my friend who has idential twin boys...they shared their placenta and unfortunatly had twin-to-twin tranfusion syndrome. it was so scary, because it was pretty severe. she had to undergo 2 in-utero surgeries to save them. one twin was getting all the nourishment, blood supply, while his twin was starving.

now at 2 years old, they definitely look pretty different. one is much much larger and fuller face...compared to his brother (the one who wasn't getting enough nourishment from the placenta). Also that twin had now at 2 years old because of the womb environment and the twin who got more blood/nourishment is much bigger than his twin. He also had torticollis and plagiocephaly -- he wore a helmet and had PT for over a year, so is fine now...but they def look different. So, you are 100% right that their experience in the womb is a factor.

I have another good friend/colleague who is an identical twin, now in her late 30s. She look sooo much like her sister!! If I see her sister alone, I have to really look closely and think about which person it is. LOL. But my friend is smaller (weight wise) than her sister and their eyes are just slightly different, which is how I tell them apart.

[almostmommyof2]

wow! that is crazy! i thought when they said identical it meant IDENTICAL! lol