Superfecundation is the fertilization of two or more
ova from the same
cycle by
sperm
Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagellum, ...
from separate acts of
sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal pene ...
, which can lead to twin babies from two separate biological fathers. The term superfecundation is derived from
fecund, meaning the ability to produce offspring. Homopaternal superfecundation is fertilization of two separate ova from the same father, leading to
fraternal twins
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
,
while heteropaternal superfecundation is a form of atypical twinning where, genetically, the twins are half siblings – sharing the same mother, but with different fathers.
Conception
Sperm cells can live inside a female's body for up to five days, and once ovulation occurs, the egg remains viable for 12–48 hours before it begins to disintegrate. Superfecundation most commonly happens within hours or days of the first instance of fertilization with ova released during the same cycle.
Ovulation is normally suspended during
pregnancy
Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.
Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ...
to prevent further ova becoming fertilized and to help increase the chances of a full-term pregnancy. However, if an ovum is atypically released after the female was already impregnated when previously ovulating, a chance of a second pregnancy occurs, albeit at a different stage of development. This is known as
superfetation
Superfetation (also spelled superfoetation – see fetus) is the simultaneous occurrence of more than one stage of developing offspring in the same animal.
In mammals, it manifests as the formation of an embryo from a different menstrual cycle w ...
.
Heteropaternal superfecundation
Heteropaternal superfecundation is common in animals such as cats and dogs. Stray dogs can produce litters in which every puppy has a different sire. Though rare in humans, cases have been documented. In one study on humans, the frequency was 2.4% among
dizygotic twins whose parents had been involved in
paternity suits.
Cases in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...
holds many cases of superfecundation:
*
Leda lies with both her husband
Tyndareus and with the god
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek relig ...
, the latter in the guise of a swan. Nine months later, she bears two daughters:
Clytemnestra by Tyndareus and
Helen
Helen may refer to:
People
* Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world
* Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress
* Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
Places
* Helen, ...
by Zeus. This happens again; this time Leda bears two sons:
Castor by Tyndareus and Pollux by Zeus.
*
Alcmene
In Greek mythology, Alcmene () or Alcmena (; Ancient Greek: Ἀλκμήνη or Doric Greek: Ἀλκμάνα, Latin: Alcumena means "strong in wrath") was the wife of Amphitryon by whom she bore two children, Iphicles and Laonome. She is best ...
lies with Zeus, who is disguised as her husband
Amphitryon
Amphitryon (; Ancient Greek: Ἀμφιτρύων, ''gen''.: Ἀμφιτρύωνος; usually interpreted as "harassing either side", Latin: Amphitruo), in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis. His mother was named ...
; Alcmene later lies with the real Amphitryon and gives birth to two sons:
Iphicles In Greek mythology, Iphicles ( or ; grc, Ἰφικλῆς ''Iphikles''), also called Iphiclus, was the maternal half-brother of Heracles and one of the Calydonian boar hunters.
Family
Iphicles was the son of Alcmene and her human husband ...
by Amphitryon and
Heracles
Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptiv ...
by Zeus.
*
Chione lies with both
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
and
Hermes
Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orat ...
on the same night, and falls pregnant. She bears two sons;
Autolycus
In Greek mythology, Autolycus (; Ancient Greek: Αὐτόλυκος ''Autolykos'' 'the wolf itself') was a successful robber who had even the power of metamorphosing both the stolen goods and himself. He had his residence on Mount Parnassus and ...
for Hermes and
Philammon for Apollo.
Selected cases involving superfecundation
In 1982, twins who were born with two different skin colors were discovered to be conceived as a result of heteropaternal superfecundation.
[
In 1995, a young woman gave birth to diamniotic monochorionic twins, who were originally assumed to be monozygotic twins until a paternity suit led to a DNA test. This led to the discovery that the twins had different fathers.][
In 2001, a case of spontaneous monopaternal superfecundation was reported after a woman undergoing IVF treatments gave birth to quintuplets after only two embryos were implanted. Genetic testing supported that the twinning was not a result of the embryos splitting, and that all five boys shared the same father.][
In 2015, a judge in ]New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
ruled that a man should only pay child support for one of two twins, as the mother had sex with two different men within a week.
In 2016, an IVF-implanted surrogate mother gave birth to two children: one genetically unrelated child from an implanted embryo, and a biological child from her own egg and her husband's sperm.
In 2019, a Chinese woman was reported to have two babies from different fathers, one of whom was her husband and the other was a man having a secret affair with her during the same time.
In 2022, a 19-year-old Brazilian from Mineiros gave birth to a twin from two different fathers with whom she had sex on the same day.
See also
* Chimera (genetics)
A genetic chimerism or chimera ( ) is a single organism composed of cells with more than one distinct genotype. In animals, this means an individual derived from two or more zygotes, which can include possessing blood cells of different blood t ...
* Mixed twins
* Polyspermy
* Polyandry in nature
In behavioral ecology, polyandry is a class of mating system where one female mates with several males in a breeding season. Polyandry is often compared to the polygyny system based on the cost and benefits incurred by members of each sex. Poly ...
* Twins
References
Further reading
*
*
{{Authority control
Fertility
Reproduction
Multiple births
Free sex