Unrelated Doppelganger ‘Twins’ Share Facial Features, DNA, & Behaviors

The word doppelganger is colloquially used to describe the phenomenon of discovering your ‘twin,’ despite being unrelated by blood. The term doppelganger, meaning “double goer” in German, originates from German folklore. The term means “a wraith or apparition of a living person as distinguished from a ghost…a spirit double, an exact but usually invisible replica of every man.” It was believed that

To meet one’s double is a sign that one’s death is imminent.” [ii]

The video below shows people who stumbled upon their lookalikes in real life.

Recent research reveals there may be more to doppelgangers than just similar facial features. Scientists collected DNA samples and other biomaterials from 32 participants (16 pairs). Of those participants, 9 out of the 16 pairs exhibited significant coinciding gene structure. Additionally, “these volunteers often had similar height, weight, bad habits and level of education.” [iii]

Researchers have indicated how unusual it is that unrelated individuals who live across different continents and countries share so many characteristics, including DNA structures.

This discovery has prompted the theory that forensic experts may soon be able to “reconstruct the appearance of suspects by their DNA.” This theory is suggested because the research results indicate that “the appearance of a person is influenced by many genes,” potentially the same ones that may soon be categorized. [iv]

References

[i] Tacc Hayka, People with similar facial features may have a similar DNA structure, (Aug. 23, 2022)

[ii] Brittanica, doppelganger, (2022)

[iii] Tacc Hayka, People with similar facial features may have a similar DNA structure, (Aug. 23, 2022)

[iv] Id.