Kayla and Layla are twins who were separated at birth. A researcher interested in studying heredity tracks them down and speaks to their different families about the benefits that can be achieved by studying the two young girls. The girls and their different sets of parents agree to participate, and studies begin to assess various areas of the girls' lives. In order for this type of twin study to be most effective, what kind of twins should Kayla and Layla be?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In order for this twin study to be most effective in assessing heredity, Kayla and Layla should be monozygotic (identical) twins, meaning they originate from a single fertilized egg that splits into two embryos. This would ensure that any genetic differences between the two girls could be attributed to environmental factors, as their genetics would be nearly identical. If they were dizygotic (fraternal) twins, they would only share about 50% of their genes, which could make it difficult to tease out the effects of genetics versus environment. Conjoined and amorphous twins do not apply in this case.

Kayla and Layla Are Twins Who Were Separated at Birth