New research shows regardless how similarly they may look, identical twins are not exactly genetically the same.<br />Icelandic researchers sequenced DNA from 387 pairs of identical twins — those derived from a single fertilized egg — and their close relations.<br />According to HuffPost, that allowed them to find early mutations that separate identical twins.<br />A mutation is an alteration in a sequence of DNA that can influence physical features or susceptibility to certain diseases.<br />On average, identical twins have 5.2 of these early genetic differences, the researchers found.<br />But about 15% of identical twin pairs have more genetic differences, some of them up to 100.<br />That could influence why one twin is taller or why one twin is at greater risk for certain cancers.
