Is it true that twins have the same fingerprints?

Maybe some of you yearn to have twins later when you start a family. However, have you ever wondered whether identical twins have the same fingerprints? This question naturally arises because twins have identical genetic and physical appearance.

So, do twins have the same fingerprints?

You need to know, even though they have very similar body postures and faces, their fingerprints are not the same. However, because their genes are identical, their fingerprints do have almost the same pattern.

For those who don't know, fingerprints begin to form when your little one is in the womb in the early weeks of pregnancy. Any condition that occurs in the uterus will affect the fingerprint pattern.

So, if someone thinks that twins have the same fingerprint, you can refute their opinion and say that they are wrong.

Why are twins' fingerprints different?

Fingerprint patterns are not entirely a genetic characteristic of a person. This can be proven by the difference in the fingerprint pattern on your right and left thumb. Each finger has a unique pattern, similar to one another, but not the same.

Is there a chance that this might happen?

The possibility of twins having the same fingerprint pattern even though twins are identical is highly unlikely. If you come across some discussion or debate that states there is a possibility that the fingerprints of twins may be the same, there is no research that proves this to be the case.

Perhaps in plain view, their fingerprints look the same. However, the composition and details remain different.

How and when are fingerprints formed?

Your fingerprints are formed while you are still in the womb and are based on a combination of genes and environmental factors. According to the Washington State Twin Registry, fingerprint patterns form between weeks 13 and 19 of fetal development.

Twins do share the same DNA because they are formed from a zygote (a fertilized egg). The fingerprint pattern is also determined by DNA. However, because DNA is not the only factor in the formation of fingerprints, this is the reason why twins have nearly identical fingerprints.

Environmental factors in the uterus play a bigger role in the formation of fetal fingerprints and ensure that twins do not have the same fingerprints. The factors referred to include:

intake of nutrients into the uterus
the length of the umbilical cord
overall blood flow during pregnancy
the position of the fetus when in the uterus
overall finger growth rate

The result, fingerprints will not be the same even though they are similar to one another. Similarities may be found when the fingerprint is examined, but you will find differences in details, such as the distance between the lines and the division between one line to another.

Twins do have many similarities, especially in their physical condition. However, when talking about fingerprints, the patterns that are on the fingers are still different, just like people who are not born twins.

Since environmental factors in the uterus affect the fingerprint pattern, it is unlikely that you will have the same fingerprints as any other individual, even if you were born simultaneously or in twins.

Once again, although they are similar in various ways, no one has been found that people who were born with twins have the same fingerprints. This is also why fingerprints have always been commonly used to identify someone's identity.