Are fraternal twins hereditary?

(Although they have the same birthday, fraternal twins are genetically no more alike than any other sibling.) The tendency to release more than one egg in a single cycle (hyperovulation) is a genetic trait that can be passed from mother to child. read more

Fraternal twins happen when two independent eggs are each fertilized by different sperm. This is why the DNA of fraternal twins is different. In fact, fhe DNA of fraternal twins is no more similar than the DNA any other sibling pair. read more

Unlike identical twins—who are genetically the same—fraternal twins are no more closely related in terms of DNA than regular siblings. But scientists often like to compare identical and fraternal twins to understand how much variation in a trait is due to environment versus genetics. read more