And after Identical of fraternal twins post, let's go deeper to one of the most intriguing malformations in human beings: the conjoined twins.
The conjoined twins, also known as Siamese twins, are identical twins joined In utero (in the womb). It happens in 1 of 200.000 newborns, mostly in women (75%) and their survival rate is between 5% and 25%.
The name of Siamese twins comes from Chang and Eng Bunker, Thai brothers born in Siam (now Thailand). They travelled with P.T.Barnum circus, and they were joined by a band of flesh, cartilage and their fused livers at the torso. They were not only showed as "monsters", but also as good skilled acrobats and magicians, as well as good in business matters.
Chang and Eng Bunker. Picture from fineartamerica.com |
Now we know what conjoined twins are, why does it happen?