posted by ebean
Mystery of the ‘Land of Twins’: Something in the Water? Mengele?
Geneticists have no explanation for the 38 pairs of twins living in a one-and-a-half square mile area in Brazil, the “twins capital of the world.”
Excerpt from the NY Times:
Like so many in this farming town, populated almost entirely by German-speaking immigrants, Mr. Grimm, 19, believes that something in the water — a mysterious mineral, perhaps — is responsible for the town’s unusual concentration of twins.
Like so many in this farming town, populated almost entirely by German-speaking immigrants, Mr. Grimm, 19, believes that something in the water — a mysterious mineral, perhaps — is responsible for the town’s unusual concentration of twins.
“It can’t all be explained by genetics,” said Mr. Grimm, himself a twin.
Geneticists would like to disagree with him, but even they have no solid explanation for the 38 pairs of twins among about 80 families living in a one-and-a-half-square-mile area.
The mystery has persisted for decades, attracting international attention and inspiring books and investigations by geneticists… read more
Elephantbeans 