Earliest evidence of twins

The oldest known evidence of twins are the remains of two boys recovered during the excavation of an Upper Paleolithic site in Krems-Wachtberg, Austria, in 2005 and dated to c. 31,000 years ago. The results of DNA testing published in November 2020 conclude that the boys were identical full-term monozygotic (identical) twins, one of whom died at birth and the other an estimated 50 days later.

Histological and dental evidence suggest that the boys died c. 7 weeks apart. They had been buried together in an oval-shaped pit, with both of their faces pointing east. After the second body had been interred, the grave was sealed using a mammoth shoulder blade. Grave goods found with the twins included two burial necklaces, one made from beads of mammoth ivory and the other from molluscs and fox teeth. The analysis of their DNA revealed a ratio of X and Y chromosomes consistent with males; it also pointed to the boys being identical twins, sharing their entire genome.

The findings were published in Communications Biology by Maria Teschler-Nicola et al in November 2020. Full citation: Teschler-Nicola, M., Fernandes, D., Händel, M. et al. "Ancient DNA reveals monozygotic newborn twins from the Upper Palaeolithic". Commun Biol 3, 650 (2020).