The Dahm triplets were born on December 12, 1977. Nicole, Erica, and Jaclyn Dahm are special in more ways than one. Not only are they identical triplets, a genetic miracle that only happens in 1 in 65,500 births, but their striking ocean-blue eyes and golden-blonde hair is enough to make them stand out in any crowd.
It is crazy to think that all three sisters got pregnant within weeks of each other. In an interview with Playboy Jaclyn, the youngest Dahm sister, assured, “It must be that triplet bond. It’s weird how fortunate and lucky we’ve all been.” After a triple pregnancy, all three Dahm triplets gave birth to daughters in 2010!
After Nicole, Jaclyn, and Erica had their three beautiful baby girls and got settled into motherhood, producers from The Doctors called them again in March 2017 with an interesting idea.
Over the last few years, DNA tests have become increasingly popular. The more recent advent of at-home DNA ancestry tests has completely exploded in the market. People are desperate to know about their DNA and where they really come from. That is why websites like Ancestry.com and 23andMe have become much more well known. These websites and others offer at-home DNA tests at very reasonable prices. Many companies promise to help customers find out what ethnicities they are made of.
Lisa Guerrero, a journalist from Inside Edition who was looking into the new industry of Do It Yourself DNA testing and investigating the reliability of those tests. Since the triplets were genetically identical, they would be the perfect "control group." Guerrero could use the DNA test on the triplets to determine once and for all if they were accurate.
DIY DNA test kits have become extremely common and extremely cheap. The biggest names in the industry are 23andMe and Ancestry.com, which provide affordable, easy-to-use kits, and they analyze their client's DNA samples to tell them more about their ancestry.
The Dahm sister took the test and waited for the results.
It took a few weeks for the results to arrive. The sisters were excited to learn about their ancestry, but there was one thing they were sure of—the results would be identical. The triplets shared the exact same DNA and they were essentially clones of each other.
They did not expect to be surprised by the results of the saliva tests. Nicole, Erica, and Jaclyn submitted their saliva tests to 23andme. The results would be revealed to them in a live episode of The Doctors in March 2017.
The first test told the triplets something they knew since birth, that they were identical.
The initial test was behind them. The doctors made sure to request a second test that would show more than if the triplets were identical. The second test was meant to provide information on where the triplet’s ancestors came from and what countries they originated from. Again, Erica, Nicole, and Jaclyn expected everything to be the same. After all, the Dahm triplets were identical. Doesn’t that mean that their DNA would be the same and therefore, their genetic heritage would also be the same?
This DNA test was much more comprehensive and detailed than the first one. Not only did it compare their own DNA sequences, but it traced back their ancestry and ethnic generation.
Naturally, since they all had the exact same DNA, they expected to have the same results. But, that's when things got tricky. The results they received showed something completely different.
So why did the results surprise everyone?
At first, everything seemed fine. They were all 99% European, genetically. But then, the results were broken down even further, and that's when the differences started emerging. Erica was, according to the test, 16% Irish and British, while Nicole was 18% Irish and 2% British more than Erica!
However, these weren't the only results that confused the triplets.
The results kept coming in, and with them, more and more differences emerged. They were French and German to varying degrees—Erica was 22.3%, Jaclyn was 18%, and Nicole was 11%. But how could it be?
How could their ancestry be different?
Every discrepancy in the tests was shocking, but the most shocking was in the percentage of Scandinavian ethnicity of the sisters. Erica and Jaclyn had the same results—they were both 7.4% Scandinavian. But, Nicole's results indicated that she was 11.4% Scandinavian, 4% more than both her sisters!
The girls were just as surprised as everybody else was. If there was one thing they were sure of, it was that their test results would be the same across the board. And why wouldn't they?
They were all born from the same fertilized egg and they carried the exact same genetic code. Even the tests themselves showed they were identical triplets!
Biology is a scientific field that's still wrapped in mystery and there are many things we don't know yet. But, most experts would agree that identical twins or triplets share the same genes and the same ancestry.
Dr. Travis Stork, the host of The Doctors TV Show, was the first to suggest a solution to the mystery. His conclusion was that these at-home tests shouldn't be taken too seriously, and should be regarded as light entertainment rather than a serious, scientific experiment.
The results of the tests were revealed on a live episode of The Doctors, and as experienced as the sisters were in front of a camera, they couldn't hide their shock. Nicole was the first to speak, and she said, “I’m surprised because we came from the same egg and we have the same DNA.”
Dr. Stork also voiced his opinion, telling the sisters and the audience that these kinds of tests shouldn't be regarded as a real genetic test, but more as "entertainment."
Dr. Stork explained further that as advanced as the science of biology is, these at-home test kits aren't quite advanced enough to produce 100% accurate results. They can give some approximation of one's heritage, but the more specific they get, the more that flaws and inaccuracies emerge. As he said, “You can’t just spit in a cup and have every single answer that you are looking for."
Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.
Pictures from Playboy Magazine [Rated R]
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