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Feathered First

A pair of identical twin emus hatched at NZ Emu Limited in Colyton are a world first, according to Massey Masters student Suzanne Bassett, who is studying emus in the Department of Ecology. The twins, which hatched in October 1994, have recently been DNA tested by US scientists who have confirmed they are identical. This is believed to be the first documented case of identical twinning in birds, says Bassett.

Twinning in birds is a rare event. The occurrence of two yolks in a single egg appears to be relatively common in emus, but very few survive to hatching, Bassett says.

The twin-bearing egg was the last to be laid from a clutch of 18. It was noticeably larger than any other egg produced by the female in 1994. The twins, which were artificially hatched, were half the size of the other emus.

Despite their small size, the pair have developed normally and at one year are only slightly lighter in weight in comparison to other juvenile birds.