Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T22:27:07.063Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Problem of Determining Twin Zygosity for Epidemiological Studies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

C. Gavin Fairpo
C. Gavin Fairpo*
Affiliation:
Department of Child Dental Health, University of Leeds
*
Department of Child Dental Health, University of Leeds, Medical and Dental Building, Clarendon Way, Leeds LS2 9LU, UK

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The use of epidemiological studies of twins as a means of determining the existence of genetic factors in various conditions is well known. To be of value, the zygosity of the twin pairs must be identified with as great a degree of confidence as possible. A method of determining twin zygosity, using concordance in general likeness, hair colour, hair type, eye colour, ear form, tongue roll and phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taste sensitivity, was developed for use in a survey of 244 pairs of like-sexed twins aged 5 to 15 years. The results obtained and the problems raised when applying this method are discussed. The method was simple to apply to a large group of twin pairs, and monozygotic pairs were identified with a degree of confidence greater than 95%.

Keywords

Twin zygosityGeneral likenessHair colourHair typeEye colourEye formTongue rollingPTC taste sensitivity
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , January 1979 , pp. 21 - 33
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1979

References

REFERENCES

1.Ardashnikov, SN, Lichtenstein, EA, Martynova, RP, Soboleva, GV, Postnikova, EN (1936). The diagnosis of zygosity in twins; 3 instances of differences in taste acuity in identical twins. J Hered 27:465–468.Google Scholar
2.Bertillon, M (1847). Des combinaisons de sexe dans les grossesses gémellaires (doubles ou triples), de leur cause et de leur caractère ethnique. Bull Soc Anthropol Paris 9:267–290.Google Scholar
3.Blakeslee, AF, Salmon, MR (1931). Odour and taste blindness. Eugen News 16:105–109.Google Scholar
4.Cederlöf, R, Friberg, L, Jonsson, E, Kanij, L (1961). Studies on similarity diagnosis in twins with the aid of mailed questionnaires. Acta Genet Stat Med 11:338–362.Google Scholar
5.Chung, CS, et al (1965). Dental caries in relation to PTC taste sensitivity, secretor status, and salivary thiocyanate level. Arch Oral Biol 10:645–653.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Dahlberg, G (1926): “Twin Births and Twins From a Hereditary Point of View.” Stockholm: Tilden.Google Scholar
7.Fairpo, CG (1973): Dental health in monozygotic and dizygotic twins of school age. MChD thesis, University of Leeds, England.Google Scholar
8.Fox, AL (1931): Tasteblindness. (Short item which reports his findings). Science 73 (Suppl, Science News): 10.Google Scholar
9.Fox, AL (1932). The relationship between chemical constitution and taste. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 18:115–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Grieve, J, Morant, GM (1946–1947): Records of eye colours for British populations and a description of a new eye-colour scale. Ann Eugen 13:161–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Harris, H (1953): “An Introduction to Human Biochemical Genetics.” Eugenics Laboratory Memoirs, 37, Ch 8: Differences in taste sensitivity to the thioureas. London: Cambridge University Press, pp 69–75.Google Scholar
12.Harris, H, Kalmus, H (1950–1951): The measurement of taste sensitivity to phenylthiourea (PTC). Ann Eugen 15:24–31.Google Scholar
13.Harris, H, Kalmus, H (1951–1952): The distribution of taste thresholds for phenylthiourea of 384 sib pairs. Ann Eugen 16:226–230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Hartmann, G (1939). Application of individual taste difference towards phenylthio-carbamide in genetic investigations. Ann Eugen 9:123–135. 1939.Google Scholar
15.Hogben, L (1933): Nature and nuture: being the William Withering Memorial Lectures on “the methods of clinical genetics” delivered in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Birmingham for the year 1933. London: William & Norgate.Google Scholar
16.Kempthorne, O (1978). Logical, epistemological and statistical aspects of nature-nurture data interpretation. Biometrics 34:1–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Matlock, P (1952): Identical twins discordant in tongue-rolling. J Hered 43:24.Google Scholar
18.Registrar General (1955–1956): Statistical review of England and Wales for the year 1953 (… 1964). Tables Part II Civil (-Part II, Tables, population). Table CC: Maternities with multiple births. London, HMSO.Google Scholar
19.Rife, DC (1938): Contributions of the 1937 National Twins'Convention to research. J Hered 29: 83–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Siemens, HW (1927). The diagnosis of identity in twins. J Hered 18:201–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Snyder, LH (1931). Inherited taste deficiency. Science 74:151–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Sturtevant, AH (1940). A new inherited character in man. Pro Nat Acad Sci USA 26:100–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Urbanowski, A, Wilson, J (1947). Tongue curling. J Hered 38:365–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24.Vogel, F (1957). Ueber die Fähigkeit, die Zunge um die Längsache zu rollen. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 6:225–230.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Weinberg, W (1901–1902): Beiträge zur Physiologie und Pathologie der Mehrlingsgeburten beim Menschen. Pflügers Arch 88:346–430.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26.World Health Organization (1966). The use of twins in epidemiological studies. Report of a WHO Meeting of Investigators on Methodology of Twin Studies. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 15:111–128.Google Scholar