Do identical twins have identical fingerprints or identical DNA?
No to identical fingerprints, but yes to identical DNA. The ultimate shape of fingerprints is believed to be influenced by environmental factors during pregnancy, like nutrition, blood pressure, position in the womb and the growth rate of the fingers at the end of the first trimester. There will be similar partterns of whorls and ridges in the fingerprints of identical twins. But there will also be differences – just as there are differences between the fingers on any individual’s hands. Because they both came from the combination of the same egg and sperm, twins have identical DNA, barring the generally undetectable micromutations that begin as soon as cells start dividing. To a standard DNA analysis, they would be indistinguishable.
