Amazingly Rare Twins (Ebony & Ivory)

Abc.com ^ | February 22, 2006 | ABC News

[ga medic]

They aren't my favorite names by any stretch, but they could be much worse. I didn't know if you meant poor, as in you felt sorry for them, or poor, as in they had no money. I was just curious. Thanks

[Arthalion]

I don't know, they sound like they may be traditional African names. I work with a black gentleman who's name is Kibwe, and his daughters name is Akilah.

They may sound made up, but both are traditional African names. His is Swahili for "blessed", and hers is Swahili for "intelligent". There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with taking a name from his racial culture...it's no different than someone of Irish descent preferring to name their kid Patrick, someone of Italian descent preferring Antonio, or someone of Spanish ancestry preferring Jose.

Now if they were named Laquonda, Shauqnda, Tanique, or ChamPoo, you'd have a point.

[Clemenza]

For some odd reason, this reminds me of the story of the woman who asked your mother if you would turn from white to black!

That was the funniest thing I had heard in months. :-)

[Clemenza]

I can hear the white kid now..."You mean I'm going to stay this color?"

LOL. Maven, I loves you no matter what your color!

[nmh]

I don't buy this ... some time ago a movie was made about this kind of scenario. Later the truth came out. The "mother" slept around. It happened that she had sex with two different guys and conceived the two different skin colors through that. I suspect the same is true here.

How's the DNA match up to Mom and Dad?

[radiohead]

That was the funniest thing I had heard in months. :-)

LOL. Made me laugh to even think about it again.

[Mrs Zip]

ping

[Lancey Howard]

Amazing!

[Cate]

My outside observation - these two look very loved and wanted and thats the most important part. All the superficial stuff will work itself out. After reading some newspaper articles, its refreshing to see the ORIGINAL mom and dad together who actually want and take care of their children. These two are blessed children.

[Old_Mil]

I don't buy this ... some time ago a movie was made about this kind of scenario. Later the truth came out. The "mother" slept around. It happened that she had sex with two different guys and conceived the two different skin colors through that. I suspect the same is true here.

Looking at the two children, it's highly unlikely in this case given the similarities in their appearance. Had the two eggs been fertilized by two different men, the facial features and appearance of the two children would be far less similar.

There are two genes that control the production of melanin, each of which has a dominant and recessive expression. This leads to a possible 16 combinations of genotype when coding for skin colour as follows:

# Genotype - Phenotype
1 M1M1M2M2 - Black Skin
2 M1M1M2m2 - Dark Brown Skin
3 M1M1m2m2 - Brown Skin
4 M1m1m2m2 - Light Brown Skin
5 m1m1m2m2 - White Skin

I'm actually surprised that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often. It is illustrative of how what we see as "races" today all sprung forth from Noah's M1m1M2m2 heterozygous family.

[Ro_Thunder]

Not really sure, to be honest. I was generally a healthy child, but about the time I learned of my afflication, I started having what is now termed "dyspnea on exertion". If I run, even when I was in shape, I'd get out of breath much much quicker than the other guys. I played basketball, football, rode a bike, but I'd just get winded quicker. Eventually, I got out of the Navy because of it. I can't play with my kids as vigorously as I'd like, nor do other things for as long a period as sometimes I'd like, but overall, it hasn't really impacted me.

The key is if my children that have the trait marry someone who has the trait, there's a chance their child(ren) may actually have Sickle Cell itself.