1) Identical twins will have identical DNA. They will not, however, have identical fingerprints. Fingerprints are only partly a product of genetics, they are also a product of environment.
Of course, since fingerprints are partly a product of genetics, identical twins' fingerprints will be similar.
2) Fraternal twins are not identical in DNA or fingerprints.
Before the days of genetic testing, fingerprints were used to judge whether twins were identical or fraternal. If the fingerprints were very similar, the twins must be identical. If they are not, the twins must be fraternal.
methos: I infer that since hands can get hurt with a few cuts, etc. from the environment, our fingerprints change from what they were in design at birth.
All: I just saw a TV show in which a fraternal twin was hard to catch for his rape crimes, because he had two strains of DNA. I am unsure of this one, unless someone has info that this is possible.
Although you could easily get a scar on your fingertips, the patterns of your fingerprints cannot be changed so easily as that. I believe that a sort of plastic surgery replacing them may be possible, but short of that I think you can't dig deep enough to remove them without destroying your fingertips.
The mixed DNA thing is possible. What happens is that two fertilized eggs (which would usually become fraternal twins) fuse into one within the womb, so only one person is born, but they have two sets of DNA (with different DNA in different parts of their body). This is known as a chimera, after the Greek mythical beast that was part lion, part goat, and part snake. AS I understand it, it is very rare in humans but not as rare in some other species.
I thought that the show is not fictional, but the truth is hard to believe when one is surprised to never have heard of such a phenomenon what with DNA testing being frequently in the news.
I am an identical twin, and yes we do have the same DNA. We don't, however, have the same fingerprint. A fingerprint is determined on when the baby is in the belly. The liquids surrounding the baby goes in different eddies within each mother, it's also dependent on how the baby is positioned, that's why fingerprints have a slight wavy look. Even though we were in the same belly, we were in different positions. Faternal twins definately do not have the same fingerprints and most likely not the same DNA because they were created by a different egg.
