We all have this image in our heads about what twins should look like, right? They should have the same skin tone, eye and hair color, and maybe even the same personality—but anyone who has had a chance to get to know a set surely recognizes that twins can be very different.

Take 6-month-olds Jeremiah, and Elijah, for instance. The baby boys, who are fraternal twins, may have similar facial features, but one happens to be dark-skinned with tight, black curls and the other happens to be light-skinned with loose, golden waves.

Danielle Wallis, the boys’ mother, is African American and the boys’ father is of African American, Italian, and Czech descents. Doctors say that because Jeremiah and Elijah’s parents come from different racial backgrounds, the idiosyncrasies of genetics allow the the twins look so different.

Throughout the years, we’ve shown you several different examples of these special sets of twins, but this is the first time that we have ever encountered two boys who have the trait. A landmark event, indeed!

Another set of twins’ takes on living with this stunning difference in physical traits

When we heard about Jeremiah and Elijah, a lot of thoughts were swirling through our head, namely: will their experiences in life differ drastically because one appears fully white and one appears fully black?

Of course, it’s hard to know the answer to that question, but there are two British teens who may have something to say about it.

Meet Lucy and Maria Aylmar, perhaps two of the most striking examples of this rare genetic display. The young women are fraternal twins born to a half-white, half-Jamaican mother and a white father. What’s interesting is that Lucy – with her pale skin, blue eyes, and straight ginger hair – looks like a spitting image of her father, while Maria – with her darker skin, curly black hair, and brown eyes – looks just like her mom.

Growing up, the gorgeous sisters, who also happen to be BFFs, felt insecure for not sharing the similar looks that so many twins do. Bookish Lucy says that she was taunted by classmates who demanded to know why it looked like she was adopted, and confident Maria used to cry because she wanted her twin’s straight hair.

These days, though, the 21-year-olds celebrate their differences, both in looks and personality. You go, girls!

It’s interesting to hear the unique perspective of twins who were born into a similar situation to that of Jeremiah and Elijah. We hope that the boys end up flaunting their individualities, too!

To meet the mama of these beautiful boys and to hear from a genetics expert on why this difference in skin tone sometimes occurs in biracial twins, be sure to watch the video below. Amazing stuff!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on handsome babies Jeremiah and Elijah. Does their difference in appearance surprise you? How do you think each boy’s experience in life will differ from his brother’s? Do you have any twins in your family that look completely different?