What types of Twins are there?

Summary

Who Smarted? – “What types of Twins are there?”

Episode Date: November 12, 2025
Host: Adam Tex Davis
Guests: Ella & Emma (Twin sisters)

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Episode Overview

This episode of “Who Smarted?” takes listeners on an entertaining and fact-filled journey to explore all things twins: what makes twins unique, the different types of twins, how they’re formed, how they help scientists, common myths, and some truly surprising trivia. With playful interactions and clever storytelling, host Adam Tex Davis, joined by real-life twin guests Ella and Emma, answers kids’ biggest questions about twins—delivering science, history, and plenty of laughs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Twin Cities and Introduction (00:00 – 03:39)

• Setting the Scene: Adam jokes about being in a "state," playfully referencing Minnesota (“Mini Soda”), leading into a discussion about Minneapolis and St. Paul—the “Twin Cities.”
  • Quote: “A tiny carbonated beverage could be a mini soda. Mini soda? Minnesota. What? That was fun for me.” (Adam, 01:18)
• Transition: Adam moves from geographic twins to “people who are twins,” introducing Ella and Emma, the twin guests.

What Are Twins? (03:57 – 04:34)

• Definition:
  • Twins are siblings born a short time apart, usually sharing the same birthday.
  • Rare Case: Possible for twins to have different birthdays (e.g., born on either side of midnight).
    • Quote: “What if one twin is born at 11:59pm and the next twin is born 20 minutes later at 12:19am or the following day?” (Ella/Emma, 04:25)

How Common Are Twins? (04:34 – 05:24)

• Stat: About 2% of the world’s population are twins.
  • “That means two out of every hundred people are twins, which is kind of rare.” (Adam, 04:40)

Types of Twins (05:24 – 07:23)

• Identical Twins:

  • Genetically the same, look almost exactly alike, and usually the same gender.
    • “Everyone in the world is genetically unique except for identical twin siblings.” (Ella/Emma, 05:37)

• Fraternal Twins:

  • Developed from separate ova (eggs), genetically distinct like regular siblings; can be different genders.
    • “Fraternal twins are more like regular siblings than identical twins.” (Adam, 06:04)

• How Type Is Determined:

  • Decided before birth based on egg formation.

Science and Twin Studies (07:23 – 08:27)

• Why Twins Matter in Science:
  • Twins help scientists understand the difference between genetics (nature) and environment (nurture).
  • “Scientists collect information about the similarities and differences between twins to try and figure out which traits are influenced more strongly by environmental or genetic factors.” (Ella/Emma, 07:32)
• Modern Twin Studies: Focus on preventing/treating complex diseases by comparing twins’ genetics and life experiences.

Differences & How to Tell Types Apart (08:27 – 09:50)

• Identical Twins Aren’t Truly Identical:

  • Environmental factors and small DNA changes cause physical differences (e.g., more freckles, height differences).
    • “Differences can still be caused by environmental factors and small changes in our DNA.” (Ella/Emma, 08:49)

• Which Type is Most Common?

  • Fraternal twins are about twice as common (2 out of 3 pairs).
  • Most common pairing: boy/girl fraternal twins.

• How to Know for Sure:

  • DNA/genetic testing is definitive (can be done before or after birth, painless cheek swab).

Special Twin Facts & Myths (09:50 – 14:23)

• Do Identical Twins Have Identical Fingerprints?

  • No, everyone has unique fingerprints—even identical twins. (12:06)
    • “Footprints too. That’s one way to tell us apart.” (Ella/Emma, 12:06)

• Mirror Twins:

  • Subtype of identical twins with mirrored features (e.g., left- and right-handedness, or birthmarks on opposite sides).
    • “Mirror twins look like a mirror reflection, only they're two separate people.” (Ella/Emma, 12:33)

• Mind Reading Myth:

  • Twins can’t literally read each other’s minds but often share a strong, intuitive bond from growing up together.
  • “We’re not really reading each other’s mind with any special power. It’s just that twins usually share a really special and super close relationship.” (Ella/Emma, 13:31)

• School and Development:

  • Some twins experience separation anxiety in early school years, but most adjust to being in different classes around age 6 or 7.

• Can You Predict Having Twins?

  • Fraternal: Runs in families/more likely for older moms or through specific fertility treatments.
  • Identical: Occurs randomly; cannot be predicted.
    • “While having fraternal twins can run in families, the chance of having identical twins is random and can’t be predicted.” (Ella/Emma, 14:29)

Twins in the Animal Kingdom (14:43 – 15:46)

• Animals Can Have Twins Too!
  • Many mammals and even birds can have twins—especially goats, sheep, cattle, and horses.
  • Most animal twins are fraternal; DNA testing needed to confirm.

Fun & Memorable Moments (15:46 – 16:50)

• Own Twin Language:
  • Some twins create their own language as kids. Ella and Emma used theirs and now use it annually for “National Twins Day.”
    • Quote: “Ella and I had our own language when we were younger. ...now we only use it on December 18th.” (Ella/Emma, 15:58)
  • National Twins Day revealed (not their birthday, as Adam guessed).
• Riddle:
  • A scenario where twins are born in different years—a twin born on New Year’s Eve, one on New Year’s Day.

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Notable Quotes / Memorable Moments

• On Twin Cities:

  • “The name of the state could be used to describe a tiny carbonated beverage...A mini soda. Minnesota.” (Adam, 01:18)

• On Twin Birthday Rarity:

  • “What if one twin is born at 11:59pm and the next twin is born 20 minutes later at 12:19am or the following day?” (Ella/Emma, 04:25)

• On Identical Twins:

  • “Identical twins are almost always born the same gender, and they're probably what most people think of when they think of twins.” (Ella/Emma, 05:44)

• On What Makes Twins Special for Science:

  • “Twin studies have shown that in most cases, a person's genes and their environment both have a lot to do with the person they become.” (Ella/Emma, 08:08)

• On Identical Twins’ Differences:

  • “If you look closely, I have a few more freckles than Emma, and I'm just a hair taller.” (Ella/Emma, 08:33)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:01–02:47 – Introduction and Twin Cities joke
• 03:57–04:34 – What makes twins different from other siblings
• 05:24–07:23 – Identical vs. Fraternal twins explained
• 07:23–08:27 – Why scientists study twins
• 09:11–09:50 – How to tell what kind of twin you are
• 12:06–12:21 – Identical twins don’t have the same fingerprints
• 12:21–13:12 – Mirror twins and other fun variations
• 13:31–13:48 – Mind reading myth debunked
• 14:29–14:51 – Genetics, family history, and having twins
• 15:00–15:46 – Animal twins
• 15:58–16:11 – Twin language & National Twins Day
• 16:11–16:47 – New Year’s riddle about twins being born in different years

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Episode Tone and Style

The episode balances humor, science, and relatability, speaking directly to curious kids. The host’s playful, pun-filled delivery is balanced by the twins’ lively, knowledgeable (and sometimes sassy) responses. Science and trivia blend seamlessly into everyday kid-friendly conversation.

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Summary

This episode of “Who Smarted?” squeezes maximum fun and science out of the topic of twins—covering what makes twins unique, the biology behind twin types, why twins are so important to science, and even debunking common twin myths. Whether you’re a twin, know a twin, or just curious, you’ll walk away with a bundle of fascinating facts, memorable jokes, and new things to wonder about.

Transcript

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Hey, smartypants. Trusty narrator here. I'm still feeling those great birthday vibes from WhoSmarted. Turning 5 years old, so many smarty pants have reached out to wish us a happy birthday. I cannot thank you enough. Even more so, I am so thrilled that hundreds of smarty families have taken advantage of our 50% off Happy Birthday subscription sale and have signed up for an entire year of WhoSmarted plus for just $19.98. That's just $1.66 a month to get all of the smarting, including a bonus episode every single week. Plus smart eqs and trusty trivia, all completely ad free. Not to mention, you'll be supporting the show in the best way possible so we can keep smarting with you. However, this sale can't last forever, so be sure to sign up on or before November 15th to lock in a year of WhoSmarted plus at just $19.98. That's just a week more. So do it now. Subscribe by going to our website, WhoSmarted.com and click Birthday. Subscribe again. You can only take advantage of our 50% off sale by going to WhoSmarted.com and clicking Birthday subscribe on or before November 15th. Thanks again and keep on smarting. And now it's time for who Smarted? Hey, Smartypants, See if you can guess what state I'm in. Ha ha, very funny. I heard some of you say smart. Solid. Yes, I am a solid, not a liquid or gas. But I meant which state in the United States. Here's your hint. The name of the state could be used to describe a tiny carbonated beverage. Not so quick to joke now. What about you smarty adults listening? Do you know which of the 50 states could be a tiny carbonated beverage? Here's the answer. A tiny carbonated beverage could be a mini soda. Mini soda? Minnesota. What? That was fun for me. Anyway, I'm in Minnesota visiting two special cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Smartypants. What do they call these cities? Is it A, the sibling cities, B, the besties cities, or C, the Twin Cities? If you said C, the Twin Cities, nice job. These cities are called the Twin Cities because they share a border and much of the same history. It's also why Minnesota's baseball team is called the Twins. But now that I think about it, I'm kind of curious about people who are twins.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

We can help you with that. I'm Ella. And I'm Emma. We're twins.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Whoa. Do you believe that, smarty pants? I happened to mention Twins and two twins suddenly appear. Or maybe these are my cousins who live in Minnesota and all this was just a setup to talk about twins.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Oh, trusty mom said you're always five moves ahead.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Yep. But hey, that's all part of the fun for me. The fun for you, the smarty pants, is learning about things like twins. For example, how rare are twins? Are there different types of twins? And can twins really read each other's minds?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Maybe. I knew you were going to say that.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Oh, boy. Find out the answers to these questions and more as we take another whiff of science and history on who's smarted.

[Narrator/Chorus]

Who's smarted, who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun on who's smart and.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Smartypants. I bet some of you out there are a twin. Or maybe, you know, some twins. Either way, I'm fascinated by the science behind twins. But let's start at the beginning. How are twins different from other siblings?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Twins are siblings that are born a short time apart and usually share the same birthday.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Usually? I thought twins always shared a birthday. What do you think, smartypants? Can you think of a way that twins might not share a birthday?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Well, what if one twin is born at 11:59pm and the next twin is born 20 minutes later at 12:19am or the following day?

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Oh, you got me, smarty Twins. But let's just say that's a rare instance. And most times twins are born on the same day. And speaking of rare, just how rare are twins? How much of the world's population do you think twins make up? Is it 1%, 2% or 3%? If you said 2%, you got it. That means two out of every hundred people are twins, which is kind of rare. Yet at the same time, there's a good chance you know somebody who is a twin. And that could include yourself. I mean, I got my cousins twinning. Okay, here's another question for you. Are there different types of twins? What do you think, smarty pants? I'm hearing different answers. Let's find out.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

There are definitely different types of twins. For example, Emma and I are identical twins. That means we look almost exactly the same and are genetically the same. That's pretty special because everyone in the world is genetically unique except for identical twin siblings. Whoa. Identical twins are almost always born the same gender, and they're probably what most people think of when they think of twins.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Yeah, I guess that's true. When I think of twins, I usually Picture two people who look pretty much exactly the same or at the very least, are hard to tell apart. What about you, smarty pants? Is that what you think of when you think of twins?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

The other type of twin is called fraternal twins.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Smartypants, what do you think the word fraternal means? One definition means of or like brothers, but in this case it refers to twins who developed from separate ova or eggs inside their mother and have distinct genetics. In other words, fraternal twins are more like regular siblings than identical twins.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Exactly. If you know any twins that do not look the same or are different genders, you they're probably fraternal twins. Fraternal twins usually have to tell people that they are twins because while they might look similar or related, they don't look the same. Like us. Yep, like us. But they do share the same birthday usually, so that's still pretty special.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Speaking of birthdays, true or false, Smartypants? Whether twins are going to be identical or fraternal is determined before they are born. The answer is true. Identical twins come from the same ova or egg in their mother, while fraternal twins come from different ova or eggs. So a doctor can tell whether twins are going to be identical or fraternal before they're born. Either way, having a twin feels like having a best friend from even before you were born.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

You got that right. Emma and I are super close. The closest. But besides that, twins can also help science.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Really? How?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Scientists collect information about the similarities and differences between twins to try and figure out which traits are influenced more strongly by environmental or genetic factors.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Smartypants. So you know, environmental factors are the things outside of you, like where you live or what you eat, While genetic factors refer to things inside of you, like your jeans. No, not like your pants jeans. Those are outside of you. These G E n e s genes are like directions that tell your body how it should grow and they're passed down from your parents before you're born.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

As people's understanding of genetics has improved, the scientific study of twins has changed over the years. Twin studies have shown that in most cases, a person's genes and their environment both have a lot to do with the person they become. So now the main goal of modern research of twins is to prevent and treat complex diseases.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

That sounds good, but how does it work with identical twins? I thought identical twins were exactly the same.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

While that may seem true, identical twins can have small differences in the way that they look. If you look closely, I have a few more freckles than Emma, and I'm just a hair taller.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Oh, yeah, I see that. But wait, don't you have the exact same genetic material?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Yes, but differences can still be caused by environmental factors and small changes in our DNA.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

I see. Smartypants, which type of twin is more common, Identical twins or fraternal twins? If you said fraternal twins, you're winning and twinning. But just how much more common are fraternal twins than identical twins?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

The answer is two out of every three pairs of twins are fraternal twins. Or 66 out of 100. But it's not just any kind of fraternal twins that are most common. Fraternal twins, where one twin is a boy and the other twin is a girl, are the most common.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Interesting. I didn't know that, smarty pants, did you? Aside from an obvious difference like that, how can twins know for sure if they're fraternal or identical?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Well, if you're born the same gender and look the same like Ella and me, that might mean you're identical. But the best way to know for sure is to have genetic testing done.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

When would you do that?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

It can be done either before the babies are born or anytime after.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Does it hurt?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Nope. The test that's done after you're born is just a quick swab inside your cheek. And whether the twins are identical or fraternal, they're usually very close with one another and share a special bond. Who else would I want to share my birthday cake with?

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Right? Hopefully you both like the same kind of cake.

[Narrator/Chorus]

Who wants meat cake?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Meat cake? What's meat cake?

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

I'm pretty sure meat cake is something unique to my family. Speaking of things that are unique, smarty pants, you might remember our episode on Fingerprints. True or false, Identical twins have the same fingerprints. The answer is coming up right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. WhoSmarted is brought to you by Squarespace. Now, you know I'm good about creating new adventures and episodes of WhoSmarted, but you don't know that I procrastinate on other stuff, like a website for one of our new projects. Oops. When the website builder Squarespace reached out about sponsoring WhoSmarted, I decided to test it out. And now I feel silly for putting off building that website. Squarespace's blueprint AI thing literally built me a custom website in minutes. I just told it a few details about the project, and boom, it generated everything. And everything you need is right there. I can schedule guest interviews, send email campaigns, even sell merch, all from One dashboard. Now it's your turn to stop procrastinating and start building. You can use Squarespace to launch that business site or any site that you've been dreaming about. But putting off today, there's no excuse anymore. Especially since you can head to squarespace.com smarted for offer a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, you can use Code smarted to save 10% on your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com smarted code smarted. Now back to who's smarted. Okay, smartypants, we all know that every person has their own unique fingerprints. But what about identical twins? Is it true or false that identical twins have identical fingerprints? The answer is false. While identical twins are the same in lots of ways, they still have different fingerprints.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Footprints too. That's one way to tell us apart. But it's easier for everyone if we just dress differently.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Here's another question for you. Besides identical and fraternal, are there any other types of twins? What do you think, smarty pants? Let's find out.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

The answer is yes. There's a type of identical twin called mirror twins.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Ooh, mirror twins. Are you sure it's not just someone's reflection in a mirror?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Nope. Mirror twins are definitely real. They are identical twins, but they have some things on the opposite sides of their bodies. For example, they might have a birthmark on the opposite side of their faces where one twin is right handed, the other twin is left handed. Kind of like how it is when you look in a mirror. Mirror twins look like a mirror reflection, only they're two separate people.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

That is super cool. Although I don't know if I could handle a mirror trustee hanging around.

[Narrator/Chorus]

Too smart.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

And.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Psst.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Hey, pants. Smarty.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Oh, trusty. Being a twin is awesome. Exactly. It's almost spooky how close we are.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Ah, that reminds me. Here's something I'm sure the smarty pants want to know. Can twins read each other's minds? I've always heard they can. But is it true? What do you think, smarty pants? Call it out. Hmm, pretty split. So, can twins read each other's minds?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

The answer is not exactly. While twins may seem to know what each other are thinking, we're not really reading each other's mind with any special power. It's just that twins usually share a really special and super close relationship. After all, we've been together since before we were born.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Makes sense. Does that mean that you always need to be together?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

No. Which isn't to say Some twins don't have separation anxiety. Some twins become very upset if they're not with their twin. That's why twins are usually in the same class for preschool and kindergarten. Well, that and it's easier to go to the same school, but by first grade or around six or seven years old, most twins can be in different classes in school and can be away from each other. They may be developing their own interests and making new friends at this point, but they'll probably always have a special relationship.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Aw, smarty pants. True or false? Families can predict if they will have identical twins.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

If you said false, nice job. While having fraternal twins can run in families, the chance of having identical twins is random and can't be predicted.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

I see. And what would make someone more likely to have twins?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Mothers in their 30s or 40s have a higher chance of having twins. And some medical treatments before the babies are born may make it more likely to have fraternal twins.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

We've talked about human twins, but can animals be twins? Smartypants, what do you think? Shout out yes or no. I'm hearing both answers.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

The answer is yes. Many animals can have twins, including birds, cattle and dogs. While dogs usually have more than two puppies at a time, sometimes there will be a litter of only two puppies called twins. Goats often have twin babies, and there can also be twin sheep and twin horses.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Are animal twins usually identical or fraternal? What do you think, Smarties?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

For most animals, twins are fraternal, since identical twin animals are very rare. It's hard to tell though, since baby animals from the same litter tend to look similar. So DNA testing has to be done to know if the babies are identical or fraternal twins.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

I wonder if my cat has a twin, it would be great for him to have someone to meow with.

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Meow. I didn't know you speak cat. Meow. Did you know some human twins make up their own language?

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Really?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Oh yeah. Ella and I had our own language when we were younger. We used it every day, but now we only use it on December 18th.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Is that your birthday?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

No, it's National Twins Day.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

Gotcha. Oh, and speaking of gotcha, let's see if the smartypants can figure out one more twin related riddle. Are you ready? What can cause two twins to not only be born undifferent, but days, but also different years? Take a few seconds to figure it out. Did you get it? If you said that one was born on New Year's Eve and the other was born on New Year's Day, you got it. And now I'm going to enjoy the Twin Cities with my twin cousins. You ladies want to get some ice cream?

[Twins (Ella and Emma)]

Nope. Twin hops.

[Host (Adam Tex Davis)]

But of course, a big shout out to my hometown homegirl Hannah in New York. We're so glad to hear that who Smarted is not only your favorite podcast, but the best pod ever. We're also happy to hear that who Smarted helps you have fun and learn new things, even when you're bored. Well, here's to you learning new things and having fun, Hannah. Thanks. This episode Twins was written by Sarah Sweetik and voiced by Molly Smith and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[Narrator/Chorus]

Who Smarted.