Zimbabwean man & his wife have UK 's first 'black and white' twins despite coming from the same egg

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Libby Appleby, 37, from County Durham and her husband, Tafadzwa Madzimbamuto, 40 from Zimbabwean were surprised when their babies were born with different skin tones. While Amelia was born with dark skin, black hair and brown eyes, her sister Jasmine was born with fair skin, blue eyes and light curls.

"We get a lot of funny looks when we tell people the girls are actually identical," she said.

Despite their different skin tones, they are genetically identical and are thought to be the first of their kind in the country.

"When they were born, we were flabbergasted. They look like they're different races. Amelia is the spitting image of her dad, while Jasmine is a mini version of me." Libby said.

Libby said strangers mistake the one-year-old twins for step-sisters. The couple have been together for three years, when she found out she was pregnant in June 2014.

Three months later, they were told they were expecting twins and medics at University of Durham Hospital warned they would be difficult to tell apart. Libby said medics were shocked when they delivered the girls - who are monozygotic - formed in the same embryo but developed in separate sacs.

"We put them next to each other in a cot and couldn't believe how different they were. Doctors told us the chances of mixed race identical twins are one in a million. We were thrilled they were so unique."

A sample of Appleby's placenta confirmed the twins are 100% genetically identical, despite them looking nothing alike.

Dr Claire Steves, from the Department of Twin Research, said multiple genes control skin colour and although identical twins are very likely to share them completely, it is not definite.

Source: The Daily Telegraph