Twin study

Method comparing identical and fraternal twins to measure a trait's genetic share.

📖 Full definition

Identical twins (monozygotic) share 100% of their genes; fraternal twins (dizygotic) ~50%. By comparing trait concordance between the two types, one isolates the heritable share. It is the classic method to estimate a trait's heritability.

💡 Concrete example

Twin studies estimate the heritability of height at ~80%, and personality (Big Five) at ~40-60%.

🔄 Synonyms

gemellology study

🔗 See also

Heritability →
Polygenic →
Epigenetics →

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