Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T20:08:08.956Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Changes in the DZ Unlike/Like Sex Ratio in The Netherlands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

J.F. Orlebeke ,
A.W. Eriksson ,
D.I. Boomsma ,
R. Vlietinck ,
F.J. Tas  and
E.C. de Geus
J.F. Orlebeke*
Affiliation:
Department of Physiological Psychology, Free University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
A.W. Eriksson
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Genetics, Free University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
D.I. Boomsma
Affiliation:
Department of Physiological Psychology, Free University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
R. Vlietinck
Affiliation:
Department of Human Biology, Catholic University, Leuven, Belgium
F.J. Tas
Affiliation:
Central Bureau of Statistics, Voorburg, Netherlands
E.C. de Geus
Affiliation:
Department of Physiological Psychology, Free University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
*
Department of Physiological Psychology, Free University, de Boelelaan 1111, 1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Based on Dutch twin incidence figures since the beginning of the current century, evidence is provided in support of the idea that the DZ unlike/like sexed ratio has gradually shifted (since 1900) from unity to less than unity. Opposing conclusions with regard to the justification of the use of Weingberg's differential rule are very probably correct in themselves but could depend on country and period of birth of the twin sample used. Furthermore, the fast drop and subsequent rise in DZ twinning rate between about 1963 and 1990 can very likely for the greater part be ascribed to a parallel shift in maternal age.

Keywords

Weinberg's ruleTwinning rateSex ratio
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 40 , Issue 3-4 , October 1991 , pp. 319 - 323
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1991

References

REFERENCES

1. Allen, G, Hrubec, , (1987): The monozygotic twinning rate: Is it really constant? Acta Geneticae Medicae et Gemellogiae 36:389–396.Google Scholar
2. Bulmer, MG (1970): The Biology of Twinning in Man. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
3. Bulmer, MG (1976): Is Weinberg's method valid? Acta Genet Med et Gemellol 25:25–28.Google Scholar
4. Eriksson, AW (1973). Human Twinning in and around the land Islands. Helsinki: Societas Scientiarum Fennica (Academic dissertation).Google Scholar
5. James, WH (1971): Excess of like sexed pairs of dizygotic twins. Nature 232:277–278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. James, WH (1979): Is Weinberg's differential rule valid? Acta Genet Med et Gemellol 28:69–71.Google Scholar
7. Nylander, PPS, Corney, G (1969): Placentation and zygosity of twins in Ibadan, Nigaria. Ann Hum Genet 33:31–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Renkonen, KO (1967): Is Weinberg's rule defective? Ann Hum Genet 30:277–280.Google Scholar
9. Vlietinck, R, Derom, C, Derom, R, Van Den Berghe, H, Thiery, M (1988): The validity of Weinberg's rule in the East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (EFPTS). Acta Genet Med Gemellol 37:137–141.Google Scholar
10. Weinberg, W (1901): Beiträge zur Physiologie und Pathologie der Mehrlingsgeburten beim Menschen. Arch Ges Physiol 88:346–430.Google Scholar
11. Weinberg, W (1934): Differenzmethode und Geburtenfolge bei Zwillingen. Genetica 16: 282–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar