I Am My Own Twin on DHC (Spoilers)

[Rallyman]

Wow this was some wild a$$ stuff. It seems that it is possible for two fertilized eggs to merge and produce one person with two different DNA profiles. Sometimes when this happens it results in an Hermafrodit or Siamese Twins. But in some cases, perhaps if both eggs were the same sex, it results in one person. Normal in all respects and unless they have a need to do some DNA testing they may never know.

A woman almost had her children taken away by the court because DNA showed that they weren't her children!


Freaky...Freaky...Freaky!!!

[justapixel]

I saw that. The most interesting thing was that they don't think it's all that uncommon. It's just now, with DNA testing becoming so advanced, that they are finding these cases.

[Rallyman]

I saw that. The most interesting thing was that they don't think it's all that uncommon. It's just now, with DNA testing becoming so advanced, that they are finding these cases.

Hopefully until they are certain about how often this occures in the population, they will take extra percautions to rule in out in custody cases and in rape and murder cases.

[Azlen]

Wasn't there an episode of SVU where this was an issue? The suspect was cleared for the rape because the DNA from his mouth didn't match the DNA from the seminal fluid, but they later discovered that he had two different DNA profiles.
It may have not been SVU, but I vaguely remember this storyline.

[Tivoop]

I think there was a CSI storyline about this.

[busyba]

Hopefully until they are certain about how often this occures in the population, they will take extra percautions to rule in out in custody cases and in rape and murder cases.
It would be a serious issue in custody cases.

In rape and murder cases, the only (admittedly non-trivial) result would be that of guilty people with this trait being falsely cleared of their crimes. The far more serious result of innocent people being falsely implicated in a rape or murder is not a danger here.

[wendiness1]

Wow this was some wild a$$ stuff. It seems that it is possible for two fertilized eggs to merge and produce one person with two different DNA profiles. Sometimes when this happens it results in an Hermafrodit or Siamese Twins. But in some cases, perhaps if both eggs were the same sex, it results in one person. Normal in all respects and unless they have a need to do some DNA testing they may never know.

A woman almost had her children taken away by the court because DNA showed that they weren't her children!


Freaky...Freaky...Freaky!!!


As I understand it, Siamese Twins (or the now PC word "conjoined") are the result of one zygote splitting - as for twins - but not splitting completely.

It was an interesting program. I also had the thought that this may be more prevalent than we think, making DNA evidence not as exact as we thought. It could only be used to prove guilt, but not to exlcude potential perpatrators.

ETA: It concerns me in cases where people are being released now based on their DNA not matching. It's entirely possible the DNA they've used for testing was only one of two (or three?) that they have.

[Rallyman]

As I understand it, Siamese Twins (or the now PC word "conjoined") are the result of one zygote splitting - as for twins - but not splitting completely.



True! And even if the two eggs did "merge" again to form a chimera I suppose that there would be no way to ever determine that it had happened. I think I misspoke. It would seem that a true chimera would be the result of paternal twins "merging".

I think it's safe (somewhat anyways) to say that whatever the percentage of hermafrodites is in the population the same amount of chimeras exist. (yes I know that a hermafrodite is also a chimera, I just don't know what word to use to distinguish the "others")

While I still believe that DNA evidence is still very sound and the most reliable indicator we have, this show really brought home how careful we have to be in criminal cases. If, at some point, I were being judged on the basis of DNA I would insist that the possibality of a chimera be ruled out.

[Rallyman]

In rape and murder cases, the only (admittedly non-trivial) result would be that of guilty people with this trait being falsely cleared of their crimes. The far more serious result of innocent people being falsely implicated in a rape or murder is not a danger here.

On face that rings true. But then again, two days ago I would have bet the farm that if the "mothers" DNA didn't match the childrens she had to have acted as a surrogate or had no involvement at all.