THE “MENACE” OF IDENTICAL TWINS
In the olden days and particularly in certain parts of Africa (Nigeria inclusive), twins (multiple-birth babies) were considered an ‘anomaly’ or ‘aberration’ and were either killed or, together with their mother, banished from the society.
Nigerians, in particular, would easily recall the heroic feats of the British missionary, Mary Slessor, in fighting for the abolition of the killing of twins in the country.
A twin-birth (or any multiple-birth for that matter) occurs in either of two ways: either by reason of the mother’s ovaries having produced two eggs (called ova – ‘ovum’ for singular) in the same menstrual cycle and which two eggs had become fertilized by two male spermatozoa (singular ‘spermatozoon’), thus leading to the production of two embryos (or zygotes) in the same womb, leading to the development of two foeti (singular “foetus”) that eventually become two babies (twins) in that womb. The babies could be both male or both female, or, in the alternative, one male and one female, depending on whether each egg (which always comes from an X-gamete) is fertilized by either an X-gamete spermatozoon (and in which case the baby would be female), or a Y-gamete spermatozoon (in which case the baby would be male). Such twins (whether they are both of the same sex or not) are known as fraternal twins. The physical resemblance between them as they grow up, is nothing more than that between any two siblings.
On the other hand, a twin-birth could occur when only one egg has been produced by the woman (which is ordinarily the case) and which has become fertilized by one spermatozoon, resulting into one embryo/zygote. However, in the very early stages of cell-replication (the dividing of cells to form more cells which will eventually develop into different tissues that will form the various organs of the developing baby), there could, accidentally as it were, be a “splitting” of the “group of cells” into two distinct units, each one further multiplying and developing into a distinct baby in itself! That is, this is a situation where two babies, originally from one single ovum (egg) and one single spermatozoon, actually grow up in that womb, independent of each other! Because they are from the same (one) egg and (one) spermatozoon, the inherited characteristics are exactly the same! These are called identical twins! They are either both male or both female. Because they are indeed identical, as they grow up, even into full adulthood, there’s no way anybody can ordinarily know the difference between them!
My earliest experience of identical twins was in Akure, Nigeria where I grew up. One of my father’s closest friends was a certain Mr. Osagie who was the chief police officer in the province at the time. We were family friends. Two of Mr. Osagie’s children, Ade and Ayo, were identical twins, both male. We, even as family friends, never knew how to differentiate between Ade and Ayo! Their mother (Mrs. Osagie) eventually “confessed” to my mother that even she herself couldn’t tell the difference between them! Except whenever they were both standing with their backs towards her! According to her, one of them (I wouldn’t know which one) had a more protruding buttocks than the other!
I remember another set of identical twins – the Adenegans, while I was pastoring a church in Ondo City in the 1990’s. I never knew the difference between Taiwo and Kehinde Adenegan! And I don’t know anybody who did! When Kehinde was about getting married, I asked Mr. Ojo (Kehinde’s fiance) how he differentiated between his fiancee and her twin sister anytime he was visiting them! And, you know his answer? He said, “Anytime I arrive at their house and I see/hear one of them talking frantically (that is, very extrovertive), I know that’s Taiwo”!
I recall another story I read in the newspapers a number of years ago, in which an identical set of twins (males) got married on the same day to their respective brides. One of the brides was later interviewed as to how she differentiated between her husband and his twin brother! And the bride narrated the story of how one day while they were still courting, she visited her fiance in their home and it so happened that while she approached the house, the two young men and their father were sitting outside the house relaxing. It was easy to identify their father – his older looks easily gave him away! But, upon generally greeting everybody, the lady wanted to give an extra special treat to her fiance by hugging him, but she stood there wondering who she would hug! Her fiance, realising her dilemma, stood up to hug her!
While I was in the secondary school, a very popular set of identical twins were the Oyewole brothers! Femi Oyewole was the Registrar of the University of Lagos while Dotun Oyewole was the Registrar of WAEC. Femi studied chemistry and authored a popular textbook on School Certificate Chemistry, while Dotun studied physics and authored another popular textbook on School Certificate Physics. Stories that we heard, as young secondary school students (this was in the 1960’s) indicated that Femi and Dotun were a very humorous set of identical twins who seemed to take special delight in confusing people that came into contact with them. They would dress the same way, and you could be talking to one of them and who in the course of your discussion with him, might have reason to excuse himself to attend to some emergency, only for the other one to show up and you would continue your discussion with that other one long before you realised you were talking to the wrong person!
Perhaps the most interesting scenario I’ve heard of (reported in the newspapers) concerning an identical set of twins, are the Iluyomade brothers from Ondo City, my homestead. One of them rose to become a professor in his chosen field while the other also rose to become a Bishop – having answered the call into the ministry of the gospel. On the day that one of them got married, the newly married groom was discussing with his bride inside the house and then had to go to the front of the house to attend to some emergency. Unknown to the bride, her husband’s twin brother (obviously dressed in the same clothes as the bridegroom) came inside the house at that time and the bride continued the discussion with him thinking she was discussing with her husband!
Who would deliver us from this “menace” of identical twins?
In the olden days and particularly in certain parts of Africa (Nigeria inclusive), twins (multiple-birth babies) were considered an ‘anomaly’ or ‘aberration’ and were either killed or, together with their mother, banished from the society.
Nigerians, in particular, would easily recall the heroic feats of the British missionary, Mary Slessor, in fighting for the abolition of the killing of twins in the country.
A twin-birth (or any multiple-birth for that matter) occurs in either of two ways: either by reason of the mother’s ovaries having produced two eggs (called ova – ‘ovum’ for singular) in the same menstrual cycle and which two eggs had become fertilized by two male spermatozoa (singular ‘spermatozoon’), thus leading to the production of two embryos (or zygotes) in the same womb, leading to the development of two foeti (singular “foetus”) that eventually become two babies (twins) in that womb. The babies could be both male or both female, or, in the alternative, one male and one female, depending on whether each egg (which always comes from an X-gamete) is fertilized by either an X-gamete spermatozoon (and in which case the baby would be female), or a Y-gamete spermatozoon (in which case the baby would be male). Such twins (whether they are both of the same sex or not) are known as fraternal twins. The physical resemblance between them as they grow up, is nothing more than that between any two siblings.
On the other hand, a twin-birth could occur when only one egg has been produced by the woman (which is ordinarily the case) and which has become fertilized by one spermatozoon, resulting into one embryo/zygote. However, in the very early stages of cell-replication (the dividing of cells to form more cells which will eventually develop into different tissues that will form the various organs of the developing baby), there could, accidentally as it were, be a “splitting” of the “group of cells” into two distinct units, each one further multiplying and developing into a distinct baby in itself! That is, this is a situation where two babies, originally from one single ovum (egg) and one single spermatozoon, actually grow up in that womb, independent of each other! Because they are from the same (one) egg and (one) spermatozoon, the inherited characteristics are exactly the same! These are called identical twins! They are either both male or both female. Because they are indeed identical, as they grow up, even into full adulthood, there’s no way anybody can ordinarily know the difference between them!
My earliest experience of identical twins was in Akure, Nigeria where I grew up. One of my father’s closest friends was a certain Mr. Osagie who was the chief police officer in the province at the time. We were family friends. Two of Mr. Osagie’s children, Ade and Ayo, were identical twins, both male. We, even as family friends, never knew how to differentiate between Ade and Ayo! Their mother (Mrs. Osagie) eventually “confessed” to my mother that even she herself couldn’t tell the difference between them! Except whenever they were both standing with their backs towards her! According to her, one of them (I wouldn’t know which one) had a more protruding buttocks than the other!
I remember another set of identical twins – the Adenegans, while I was pastoring a church in Ondo City in the 1990’s. I never knew the difference between Taiwo and Kehinde Adenegan! And I don’t know anybody who did! When Kehinde was about getting married, I asked Mr. Ojo (Kehinde’s fiance) how he differentiated between his fiancee and her twin sister anytime he was visiting them! And, you know his answer? He said, “Anytime I arrive at their house and I see/hear one of them talking frantically (that is, very extrovertive), I know that’s Taiwo”!
I recall another story I read in the newspapers a number of years ago, in which an identical set of twins (males) got married on the same day to their respective brides. One of the brides was later interviewed as to how she differentiated between her husband and his twin brother! And the bride narrated the story of how one day while they were still courting, she visited her fiance in their home and it so happened that while she approached the house, the two young men and their father were sitting outside the house relaxing. It was easy to identify their father – his older looks easily gave him away! But, upon generally greeting everybody, the lady wanted to give an extra special treat to her fiance by hugging him, but she stood there wondering who she would hug! Her fiance, realising her dilemma, stood up to hug her!
While I was in the secondary school, a very popular set of identical twins were the Oyewole brothers! Femi Oyewole was the Registrar of the University of Lagos while Dotun Oyewole was the Registrar of WAEC. Femi studied chemistry and authored a popular textbook on School Certificate Chemistry, while Dotun studied physics and authored another popular textbook on School Certificate Physics. Stories that we heard, as young secondary school students (this was in the 1960’s) indicated that Femi and Dotun were a very humorous set of identical twins who seemed to take special delight in confusing people that came into contact with them. They would dress the same way, and you could be talking to one of them and who in the course of your discussion with him, might have reason to excuse himself to attend to some emergency, only for the other one to show up and you would continue your discussion with that other one long before you realised you were talking to the wrong person!
Perhaps the most interesting scenario I’ve heard of (reported in the newspapers) concerning an identical set of twins, are the Iluyomade brothers from Ondo City, my homestead. One of them rose to become a professor in his chosen field while the other also rose to become a Bishop – having answered the call into the ministry of the gospel. On the day that one of them got married, the newly married groom was discussing with his bride inside the house and then had to go to the front of the house to attend to some emergency. Unknown to the bride, her husband’s twin brother (obviously dressed in the same clothes as the bridegroom) came inside the house at that time and the bride continued the discussion with him thinking she was discussing with her husband!
Who would deliver us from this “menace” of identical twins?
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