How are fraternal twins 'passed down'?

AlishaMay

Is it exclusively through the mother's side?  For example, I know that my daughters will be 'at risk' for fraternal twins, because - well they are fraternal twins, but also because their mother had them.  But my niece asked me if she would be 'at risk' and I wasn't sure how to answer - she's my brother's daughter.

I should also say that we do not know if twins run on my mother's side for sure.  My grandmother's mother died when she was 1 during childbirth with her younger sister (who never had children), and she had no contact with her mother's family.  There are no twins in my mom's generation, or mine, and I am the only female in my generation to have had children - none of the males in my generation have produced twins.  Maybe I'm just the freak.  LOL

amanda31H

It is through the mother's side- but that statement can be tricky.  For instance, if my DH's mother had twins and had hyper ovulation, for example, we would not be more likely to have twins, but our daughters would.  DH could pass the gene to them.

My friend is a biology major so I was always pumping her with questions during my pregnancy! 

AlishaMay

amanda31H:

It is through the mother's side- but that statement can be tricky.  For instance, if my DH's mother had twins and had hyper ovulation, for example, we would not be more likely to have twins, but our daughters would.  DH could pass the gene to them.

My friend is a biology major so I was always pumping her with questions during my pregnancy! 

See that's what I was thinking - if there was the hyperovulation gene in my family that we didn't know about before, by brother could have passed it on to my niece.  I think I'll just tell her it's possible - it'll make for good birth control while she's still a teenager - and maybe even ! LOL

amanda31H

Yes that would be correct!

Hahahah.  My cousin who is several years younger spent a couple days with me last summer and I told my Aunt that it was better than any BC method on the market. 

KozieKim

From the reading I have done twins only pass from the maternal side..never the father-or his family. It is the release of more than one egg that will run down the mothers side of the family. so it is only passed down by the females in the family who have the mother with the twins. But my father has 5 sets of twins and my mother has 6 sets on her side-all within 4 generations so I guess I was destined to have a set too. 

amanda31H

Yes, but if twins are on your DH's side your daughters could have twins (at that point it would be on the mother's side - them being the mothers).

KozieKim

I see what you mean now. I guess the x chromosome from both parents would be present so it is possible for a daughter to inherit it from her father.

jboricua

from my understanding its from the mothers side. my moms dad (my grandpa) is a twin, his mother (my great grandma) had 4 pairs of twins 1 identical (my grandpa and his brother) 3 fraternal 1 pair B/B  2 pairs G/B, 1 G/B  pair didnt survive, my grandpa nor any of his siblings has twins neither do my aunts nor uncles nor any cousins I got lucky 3 generations later with a pair of B/G twins

liss5517

I have been wondering the same thing, the only twins in our family come from my maternal fathers side.  I didn't get the only from your mother explanation, because how could they come from my mom's dad?