Semi-Identical Twins!

[arnisador]

Rare Semi-Identical Twins Discovered (http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070326/sc_livescience/raresemiidenticaltwinsdiscovered)



Researchers discovered twins who are identical on their mom's side of the equation but share only half their genes from dad.


Here's how it happened: Two sperm cells fertilized one egg—an event assumed to be very rare—then split into two embryos.


"Their similarity is somewhere between identical and fraternal twins,"

I think this is neat (although it was discovered because one twin has a congenital medical condition). Half-identical twins!

[arnisador]

Update: Third Child Of Minnesota Sextuplets Dies, Remainder In Critical Condition (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007668365)



Half of the sextuplets born to a Minnesota couple have died. The other three children are in critical condition.


Lincoln Sean Morrison died Friday. Two of his brothers died earlier in the week, the Associated Press reported.


The couple's four boys and two girls were born 4 ? months early. Doctors had advised the couple to reduce the number of viable fetuses to two, but the couple declined, citing religious reasons.


What an impossible situation. It's hard for me to imagine intentionally reducing the number of fetuses...yet, this is an awful outcome too.