Final Reflection

Final Reflection

            My blog postings were about myself and my twin brother Matthew. I wanted to try to understand why we’re as close as we are. I didn’t know if it was because we were twins, or maybe because we haven’t lived apart from each other for a long period of time. Through a lot of research and reading, I was a little disappointed. I didn’t really find a definitive answer to my question, but I did find good information.

            Through scientific research and studies, several doctors looked for reasons for different behaviors between identical and fraternal twins. Identical twins showed a lot of similarities with their traits compared to fraternal twins. Unlike the studies, Matthew and I have a lot of similarities, so that seemed to discredit those findings. Another conclusion one scientist came to, was that when identical twins had an advantage of very similar behavior because they’re the same sex. Matthew and I are different sexes, but we’re still similar. I put those findings aside and moved towards different studies and research amongst twins period.

            A study about twins was conducted when they were younger. Those findings were compared to non-twin siblings and the conclusion those doctors came to was nothing definitive. Scientists couldn’t figure out what made twins the way they are. It showed that twins are just as close as any other set of siblings that has years between them. Not only did all of this research amongst two studies and three different types of research done not answer my question, I was confused.

            After thinking long and hard and going through our lives together, I’ve come to the conclusion that Matthew and I are close because we choose to be. Nobody can give an answer as to a twin’s behavior, so that question would need to be answered based on my feelings and emotions. Once I started this project I started to spend more time with Matthew. It made me feel like I wanted to be around him more. Doing this type of project in a non-traditional way definitely helped. I had to continue to look for research and get more information. It lead me to a lot of information I didn’t know about twins at all, but it also made me even more closer to my brother.

Close Forever

Close Forever

            Matthew and I have come a long way together. We have been through our ups and downs, and we still have a strong bond. That bond grows stronger as we grow older. As twins we have always thought that’s why we are close, but throughout my research that bond is not only because we’re twins, it’s because we choose to be close.

            Several different studies have been done to try to understand twins (Emde, 1992). Not only have these studies been continuing for years, nobody can ever seem to get the right answers (Emde, 1992). In a study on temperament amongst twins, results have never been very clear as to what makes a set of twins’ temperament the same or different at a young age (Edme, 1992). The study videotaped twins’ behaviors with each other, and when that approach didn’t give good results scientists turned to parental questionnaires (Edme, 1992). The list of questions was done for sets of twins ranging from infancy to young adults (Edme, 1992). That information showed evidence of some influence genetically, but it also showed evidence of parents exaggerating differences between identical and fraternal twins (Edme, 1992). Both approaches yielding less to nothing in results, so scientists moved on to a different characteristic between twins.

            Emotionally, twins can be very different. There was one assessment that was done among a small group of twins, showed strong genetic influence (Edme, 1992). One example would be when a twin was to be approached by a stranger (Edm, 1992). The study also says that more positive emotions like laughing or smiling were not attributed to genetic influence (Edme, 1992). Putting both results together, it was assumed in that small group study, that negative emotions were attributed to genetic influence and positive emotions were not (Edme, 1992). No matter what the results were though, scientists have concluded that a larger group of twins need to be studied to gain more conclusive results (Edme, 1992).

            Matthew and I make our own rules. We might not agree on some things, but for the most part we react to similar situations the same way. For example, when our mother does something that we knew she was going to do before she did it; we always look at each other and start laughing. We don’t get that from her, we have always been like that. Our mother has done several different questionnaires when we were younger with other mothers of twins and her answers were different than theirs. Actually all of the answers were different amongst the mother’s, there were no similarities. Our mother concluded that every person is different and there is nothing wrong with that.

            There are a lot of similarities between Matthew and I, and we gain a lot of our knowledge from our mother. She has made us the strong, young adults that we are now. We have so much to thank her for and we do every day. Matthew and I keep ourselves close and we love to spend time together. Our mother still loves the fact that we stay close and we make it a point to have that closeness we have made between each other.

Emde, R. (1992). Temperament, emotion, and cognition at fourteen months: The MacArthur longitudinal twin study. Health & Social Work. Retrieved January 30, 2012 from Health & Social work database.

Close at a Young Age

Close at a Young Age

Aneysa & Matthew at one month old waiting to be fed

            At a very young age, Matthew and I were very close. We had our own “twin” language as our mother called it, and didn’t start talking until we were a little over three years old. We were joined at the hip and did everything together. It seemed as though nothing could separate us and of course our mother wanted it to stay that way for the rest of our lives. Our mother has been a big influence on us since she raised us alone.

            Parenting matters and our parents have a lot of influence on us growing up (Kaufman, 2008). Take for instance, a Spanish family which speaks Spanish in the household but English outside of their household and they have a set of twins. Those babies will grow up learning both languages, but primarily Spanish due to their parents (Kaufman, 2008). The influence our parents have on us is definitely high. However, that influence is influenced by something else (Kaufman, 2008).

            Genes play a big role in behavior differences and similarities (Kaufman, 2008). Different traits within an individual are based on that person’s genes. Environmental factors do play a role in the development of a trait, but so do genes and parents (Kaufman, 2008). Although we can attribute those factors to behaviors within twins, unfortunately heritability isn’t much help to seeing how likely which twin would get which characteristics from their parents (Kaufman, 2008). We never really know which twin will inherit one or both parents’ behaviors until they start getting older (Kaufman, 2008).

            Once Matthew and I got older, we started seeing who was more like what parent. Our father was never really into education, but our mother was. That was really the only trait that we displayed from them, otherwise I was like our father and Matthew was like our mother.  Different characteristics can be based on heritability, but that can’t be proven (Kaufman, 2008). Nobody really knows if environmental factors come into play (Kaufman, 2008). The lingering question that still can’t be answered by different studies, is a twin’s traits due to nature or nurture (Kaufman, 2008)?

            Matthew and I were raised primarily by our mother. She and our father divorced when we were two; therefore a lot of her morals and values are instilled in us to this day. The great woman and man we are now, we owe to our mother. The way she spoke in front of us made us feel like that’s how we wanted to be when we grow up. Our mother was number one growing up, so it felt only right for us to want to be more like her since she was such a great person. After a while though, we truly saw which twin would have more characteristics of each parent than the other.

            When Matthew and I were in our early teens, I was more like our father and my brother was the exact opposite, more like our mother. I had a smart mouth and was very outgoing. I never really cared about what I said to people. On the other hand, Matthew was very soft spoken and didn’t speak to many people he didn’t know. He definitely stayed away from confrontation as much as possible. Once we got older though, things started to change in both of us. Matthew started becoming cold towards people and didn’t really care what he said to people. I became a soft person and started wearing my heart on my sleeve, just like my mother. Things have definitely changed with mine and Matthew’s behaviors that we inherited from our parents.

            At this point in our lives, Matthew is more like my father and I am more like my mother. I am closer to my mother than I am with my father, but Matthew isn’t closer to one than the other. I think about relationships I have with my parents and Matthew does his own thing until he feels like he needs to speak with them. He still has morals and values that came from our upbringing by our mother, but he still hasn’t completely conformed back to the Matthew we use to know. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a bad person, he just isn’t as loving as he used to be. I have a lot of bad attributes of my father, but that doesn’t make me less of a person or he less of a person. Hopefully one day Matthew and I will be able to get control of the wrong behaviors we inherited from our parents and turn them into positive attributes of our own.

Kaufman, B.S., Moore, D.S. (2008, October 24) Straight talk about twin studies, genes, and parenting: What makes us who we are. Psychology Today. Retrieved March 6, 2012, from the World Wide Web: http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/2155.

Fraternal Twins Due to Mother's Side

Fraternal Twins Due to Mother's Side

Matthew & Aneysa, 2 months old with their parents.

            There are twins on both sides of my family. My father’s side has a history of identical twins. His younger brother, Timothy, had an identical brother Phillip, but he passed away after two months. He just wasn’t strong enough and the doctor’s couldn’t save him. There is a history of fraternal twins on my mother’s side. My grandfather had a twin sister, Ruth. Unfortunately both have passed away so there are no questions can ask them about being a fraternal twin like me and Matthew. After looking at my family, I could only assume that fraternal twins are carried on the mother’s side of families, and research has shown that I am correct in my assumption.

            According to research in Finland, most fraternal twin births come from the mother’s lineage (Jane, 1998). Researchers have found that in Westernized countries, fraternal twins are more common than identical twins (Jane, 1998). They say this is due to plentiful and predictable resources and people should reproduce while they can and while their children have the best opportunities for survival (Jane, 1998). This proves that people in Westernized countries versus countries like Africa and Asia, will produce more fraternal twins since their food supply is more certain (Jane, 1998). On the other hand, one geneticist at Stanford University feels that fraternal twins are strongly due to genetics.

            According to Dr. Karen Fitch, fraternal twins are created when the mother releases two eggs and the father practically has nothing to do with creating twins, until his daughters have their own kids (Fitch, 2005). I am a fraternal twin therefore I am at least two and half times likely to have a set of my own fraternal twins than a woman who does not have twins in her family (Fitch, 2005). According to genetics, fraternal twins occur when the mother ovulates twice in one menstrual cycle releasing two eggs that pair with sperm (Fitch, 2005). Genes are involved in the process of fraternal twinning; therefore they affect that process compared to identical twinning (Fitch, 2005). However, a woman’s chances to have fraternal twins can increase based on their nutrition (Fitch, 2005).

            It seems as though that through two different research projects, I have been able to come to the conclusion that there are more fraternal twins based on the mother’s die of someone’s family and diet. Not only are my chances increased because I am a twin, other people who eat healthy and have twins on their mother’s side of the family or father’s side of the family if they are a female, can have twins. I have always wanted to have twins, since I am a twin. I liked being able to grow up with my brother and go through the same things together. I have had someone by my side my whole life and I would really like to have my kids feel the same way by having a twin.

 

Fitch, K. (2005, January 26). Ask a geneticist. Understanding Genetics. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=86.

Jane E., B. (1998, August 11). Study finds more fraternal twins in lands of plenty. Health & Social Work. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from Health & Social Work database.

Are Fraternal Twins Different from Normal Siblings?

Are Fraternal Twins Different from Normal Siblings?

Aneysa & Matthew: 7 months old at their first photo shoot.

              

            Aneysa and Matthew, we have heard our names linked together for the past twenty-five going on twenty-six years. Other names we have been called are “the twins” and “frats.” The last two names really defined us as twins, but as we got older we were given our own identities. Being separately called by our names, we were not identified as twins anymore, just siblings. Unless we were asked people assumed we were regular siblings, which we didn’t have a problem with since we were getting older.

Since fraternal twins are the same age, they are more like regular siblings than people may think once they get older. Twins are likely to have similar interests and be involved in similar hobbies, so they are likely to encounter same situations (Twins, 2008). For example, they may have the same allergies, diet habits, and behaviors, but they share about half of their genes. (Twins, 2008). Those similarities are shared by normal siblings and fraternal twins (Twins, 2008).

            There are a few differences between normal siblings that might have years between their age and fraternal twins. Siblings that are two years apart might not develop the same diseases. For example, my boyfriend Benjamin and his sister Tiffany are five years apart in age. Tiffany was diagnosed with lupus four years ago. Benjamin has been tested and does not have that disease, but his younger sister Tiffany does. When it comes to twins, they are more likely to have the same diseases (Twins, 2008). It doesn’t matter if the twins are identical or fraternal, they can develop the same type of disease (Twins, 2008).

            I have wondered whether mine and Matthew’s bond is strong because we are twins. After reading through this article, normal siblings are a lot like fraternal twins. There might be a “special bond” we have because we are twins, but the similarities we have are not just because we’re twins. Many other siblings feel protective over one another and feel like they need to be near the other. I’m not able to get over the fact that I don’t want to move out of state because I can’t bare being far away from him, and I will be the first person to come to his rescue when he needs it.

            Matthew and I have been tested for several different diseases. We haven’t been diagnosed with anything, but Matthew has had a cyst before and his eyesight is worse than mine. I have never had any type of cyst, but my allergies are bad. I am allergic to pollen, dust, and I react very badly to dry heat. Matthew has a minor allergy to pollen, but most of the time it isn’t bad enough to take allergy pills every day like myself. Our differences are similar in some ways, but we have more differences than similarities. If people were to look at a picture of the two of us, eight times out of ten, they wouldn’t think we were twins. Matthew and I have more characteristics of normal siblings, than twins.

Twins: Genetics (27 October 2008). Twins genetics. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from the Gale Science In Context database.

Fraternal VS Identical

Fraternal VS Identical

           Twins are created when a fertilized egg splits in half (Twins, 2007). That split can create identical twins, but fraternal twins are created when two eggs are fertilized separately (Twins, 2007). Scientifically, identical twins are called monozygotic twins, and fraternal twins are called dizygotic twins (Twins, 2007). Twin births typically happen when there are already a set or sets of twins within a family. There is a higher risk for sets of twins or multiples period, when both the mother and father have twins in their families (Twins, 2007). No matter what types of twins are in any family, research has shown that identical and fraternal twins can happen regardless of how many identical or fraternal twins are within a family (Twins, 2007).

            Fraternal and identical twins can look similar in the womb (Twins, 2007). Matter of fact, you probably would never be able to guess if your twins were identical or fraternal until they were born, unless you get tests done (Twins, 2007). The placenta and membranes can be examined and show whether or not the eggs share a common chorion, placenta or amnion (Twins, 2007). If that is the case, then you have identical twins (Twins, 2007). There is one slight problem that science is not perfect, and therefore the tests could be wrong (Twins, 2007). At times, identical twins can split into two embryos and develop their own placenta and membranes, just like fraternal twins (Twins, 2007). There’s really no exact science to know whether or not your twins will come out looking the same, or if they have little to no similarities at all (Twins, 2007).

            My mother has said that when she first found out we were twins; she thought she was going to have twin girls. She was very excited to have the chance to have a boy and a girl at the same time. On my mother’s side of the family, my grandfather had a twin sister. On my father’s side of the family, one of my uncle’s had a twin brother. We have fraternal and identical twins on both sides of the family, which supports the information in the article given. Any type of twin can be born to a family with a history of twins, even fraternal twins with no similarities at all (Twins, 2007). While we were in the womb, Matt and I were very different. Matt was very calm, barely kicked at all. On the other hand, I was always moving especially when there was music on. The two of us were never on the same page living in the womb. In fact, during delivery my mother said that it seemed as if Matthew wanted to stay in her stomach and I wanted to come out as quickly as I could. Now that we are twenty five years older, we have several similarities and share similar viewpoints. I cherish every day I have with Matthew.

Article Cited:

Twins: World of genetics (2007). Twins world of genetics. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from the Gale Science In Context database.

Together Forever

I am a fraternal twin. I have a twin brother, Matthew. I don't know if it is the bond of us being twins, or just his being my brother, but he and I are very protective over each other and after 25 years, we are still very close. I feel like if my brother and I moved to different cities, let alone states, I wouldn't be able to handle it. When my brother and I had to move to South Carolina from New York, it devastated us. We had all of our friends we were growing up with there, and we also were about six hours away from where our father lived. Our mother was divorcing our stepfather and wanted a clean start. We were both very young so we didn't know everything surrounding the divorce. Matthew and I knew that we didn't want to leave New York. Obviously we ended up leaving and for the first three months Matthew and I were inseparable. We knew only each other and started making friends, but we were so different coming from New York down to South Carolina. It was a culture shock, but we were there for each other and knew we could count on each other for support.

I can remember one time I was in a bad relationship and my brother came to talk to me about it. He wanted me to end the relationship because he felt it wasn't right for me and he didn't like how I was treated. Any other time, Matthew stays out of my personal life until I come to him, but he was adamant about ending the relationship and living my life for me. Whenever I need my brother, he's always there for me and vice versa. We both will not let anything or anyone come between us. I need to understand why I feel the way I do when it comes to my twin, and I don't feel the same towards my other siblings.

I have chosen this question to research because I want to find out more information as to why there are fraternal and identical twins. I also want to find out if there are any specific genetic codes in each sibling to make them more alike or more different, which can determine each other's bond. I have so many questions as to why my brother and I are so close, but, at the same time, sometimes we feel so far apart. Not being able to answer these questions has led me to researching this topic to try and find those answers and more. I will be doing extensive research to find the answers to my questions.