DNA and chimerism

Here's an extraordinary story of a woman who nearly lost her children to the state in the US, when DNA testing showed no link between her and her offspring - despite the fact that the third birth was witnessed by a state appointed witness. The woman turned out to be her own twin, with the twin's DNA responsible. Confused?! It's a fascinating case that shows how absolute faith in DNA testing can still be misplaced on very rare occasions. Welcome to the world of chimerism...

The full article is at http://guardianlv.com/2014/01/pregnancy-no-proof-of-motherhood-woman-was-her-own-twin-and-the-twin-was-the-mother-of-her-children/

(With thanks to Elizabeth Shown Mills and Helen a Smith via Facebook)

Chris

My latest genealogy books are Tracing Your Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, and Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet. My next Pharos course is Scottish Research Online, which commences Feb 27th 2014, 5 weeks, price £45.99.