Most of us have known at least one set of twins. You remember them as the poor souls who had to be dressed the same in elementary school, and then once you all got to high school, they had that twin telepathy we all find equal parts fascinating and freaky.

Can Identical Twins Inherit Different Hair Colors?

No, identical twins are born with the same hair color.

Identical twins are called ‘identical’ for a reason. If they were born with different hair colors, eye color, ear lobe size, or any other genetically governed physical feature, they wouldn’t be identical.

So, if you’re asking if they can be born that way, the answer is no. But can Mary dye her hair purple and Martha leaves hers her natural brunette? Sure.

But I Know Twins and Can Tell Them Apart

First off, good for you. I’m sure they appreciate that. If they’re fraternal twins, then that’s no big feat. If they’re identical, that’s a neater trick.

But let’s talk about those two terms because even in the 21st century, we still find people who don’t know the difference or what “fraternal” means.

Fraternal Twins

Fraternal twins are created when their mother’s ovaries release more than one egg at a time, and then two of those eggs are fertilized by two different sperm cells.

Because they come from two eggs, fraternal twins are called dizygotic twins. There are several reasons why a female might hyperovulate, some natural and some hormone-induced.

Each twin will share a mix of her mother’s and father’s DNA, but those twins are no different from any other set of two siblings. Fraternal twins can be of different sexes, and those two kids would be the same as any other brother and sister pair who wasn’t born on the same day.

Identical Twins

Identical twins are monozygotic, meaning they stem from one egg fertilized by one sperm cell. The resulting zygote, which usually grows and develops into a baby, splits itself in half first, making itself into two identical zygotes, which then grow into two identical babies. Oh, and this is fun: scientists have no idea why the zygote splits.