## Did you know that...

...it is now possible to distinguish identical twins using DNA analysis. Identical twins arise from a single fertilised egg and when the egg splits into two twin embryos, they acquire their own genetic mutations and epigenetic pattern. Such monozygotic twins have a near-identical genetic sequence but display variation in their epigenome. There have only been a few criminal cases worldwide that have involved monozygotic twins. In Boston in 2004, two women were abducted and assaulted. A suspect was identified based on the genetic profile from evidence gathered, but it matched the suspect, Dwayne McNair, as well as his identical twin brother. At the time, the techniques were not available to distinguish the two brothers and it was not until 2014 that DNA technology had progressed to the point at which it could be used to definitively rule out Dwayne McNair’s twin brother. In 2018 McNair was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison.