Twin Facts and Figures

Fascination with twins is part of every culture -- and dates back centuries. Some interesting twin "facts and figures" include:

• In ancient times, doubleness in nature was often interpreted as a manifestation of the supernatural or intervention by the gods -- that is why many gods in different religions are twins or supertwins.
• In the Aztecs, Babylonian, Zuni and Ashanti cultural myths, twins took the form of warriors, builders, healers, symbols of light, water or thunder.
• Native American tribes in the Northwest believed that twins were actually salmon in human disguise.
• The frequency of twin births reported vary from country to country and range from 1 in 80 to 1 in 140.
• When it comes to phobias -- like fear of heights, of closed spaces, or of open spaces -- twins often respond similarly. Twins often share phobias, and more often than not if one twin harbors an irrational fear, the other does too.

Contact Us
Inquiries or comments on the Registry are welcome and can be directed to:

Center for Health Sciences
SRI International
333 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
SRITWIN@sri.com

Phone: 1-800-SRI-TWIN (1-800-774-8946)
Fax: 650-859-5099