Modern science has confirmed the existence of people whose facial features are very much alike, but according to the scientists, there is no way for fully identical doubles to exist.
As reported by scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, perfectly identical doubles don't exist because of an additional genetic mechanism that is expressed by the so-called enhancers.
Enhancers are parts of DNA that can increase or decrease the expression of genes responsible for facial-skull development, including the shape and color of the face.
The genes which determine the future shape of the face, perform slight changes in the last stage of their development, due to which certain human features become unique.
"These regulators are not responsible for the drastic changes which lead to genetic anomalies such as harelip. These conditions are due to mutations of the actual genes that initiate the development of the skull, and not to the newly formed regions, " stated the scientific team.
These genes have long been known to science and are expressed in an important body structure called a neural crest, in which the medullary and a significant part of the head nerve nodes are created.
The number of cells and the way by which they change determine the shape and characteristic features of a face to a great extent.
Scientists note that the enhancers in question are genetically passed down from parent to child but despite this, the passing down of genetic material does not guarantee that the child will look exactly like its parents, because these cells are modified.
This scientific explanation will help understand the mechanisms responsible for the formation of the human face and also answer the question of why persons who have no relation look like almost identical twins.
The existence of identical doubles is an issue which interests people of various fields. Not long ago, Canadian photographer François Brunelle publicized photos of people who look like different stars from world show business.
Brunelle began searching for doubles after being told numerous times that he bore a great resemblance to the movie star Mr. Bean.
