What are quaternary twins? Salyors Twins reveal how their sons are cousins and genetic brothers
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Identical twin sisters who married identical twin brothers and fell pregnant at the same time have revealed their sons are not only cousins but also genetically brothers.
Briana and Brittany Deane, 35, from Virginia, and twins Josh and Jeremy Salyers are parents to Jax and Jett, who are just three months apart in age.
Jax who will be one in April and Jett who turned on in January are ‘quaternary twins’, cousins and genetic brothers as they share the same DNA.
Jax who will be one in April and Jett who turned on in January are ‘quaternary twins’, cousins and genetic brothers as they share the same DNA
Briana and Brittany Deane, 35, from Virginia, and identical twins Josh and Jeremy Salyers are parents to Jax and Jett, who are just three months apart in age
The family shocked their 219,000 social media followers when they shared the revelation on their joint Instagram page.
Thousands took to the comments to express their confusion however some came through with an answer.
‘Identical twins share the same DNA. When two sets of identical twins marry, it makes their kids genetic sibling,’ one explained.
‘A pair of identical twins marrying identical twins is called a ‘quaternary marriage. Identical twins share the exact same genetic material, egg/sperm and all (while fraternal twins are conceived from a different egg and sperm),’ another said.
‘Basically impossible for either to be charged with a crime?’ a third joked.
‘They would be 99.9 per cent brothers. PLEASE PLEASE GET THE DNA TEST DONE AND SHOW US. I’m dying to know and see if its true,’ a fourth exclaimed.
The family shocked their 219,000 social media followers when they shared the revelation on their joint Instagram page
Speaking with NBC News, Brittany, mum to Jett and married to Josh, confirmed the fans’ theory saying the boy’s unique situation makes them more closely related than average cousins.
‘They were born to identical twin parents less than nine months apart. Twins married to twins who both have babies at the same time,’ Brittany said adding that there are only 300 other quaternary marriages known in the world.
On January 21, 2021 Brittany announced the birth of their son Jett Salyers via Instagram, with proud father Josh captioning the sweet snap: ‘Brittany did wonderfully in delivery. I am so proud of them and excited to be Jett’s dad!’
And just a few months later, Briana and Jeremy followed suit, sharing a photo of new baby Jax Salyers. Jeremy wrote: ‘I am so proud of my beautiful wife, Briana, and how well she did. She was so strong and brave and did an amazing job. I am thankful that our boys will grow up together!’
Speaking with NBC News, Brittany, mum to Jett and married to Josh, said the boys’ unique situation makes them more closely related than average cousins
Since welcoming their new additions, the foursome admitted ‘privacy is becoming an issue’ in their shared home, but they intend to raise their children as ‘one family unit’.
Jeremy told Entertainment Tonight: ‘I feel like I’m Jett’s parent and I think [Josh] feels the same way about Jax.
‘We’re raising the kids together so it feels like just one family unit.’
Briana added that ‘bedrooms and closets’ has been ‘a huge, huge issue in this house’, and also revealed the foursome all share a bank account, so ‘dividing up money’s not a problem’.
The couples, who married in Twinsburg, Ohio in August 2018 wearing identical dresses, broke the news of their shared pregnancies in August 2020 with a Baywatch-themed photoshoot.
The couples married in Twinsburg, Ohio in August 2018, wearing identical dresses, and broke the news of their shared pregnancies in August last year with a Baywatch-themed photoshoot
The couples, who both live in the same house, planned to get pregnant at the same time and said they were thrilled to be sharing their journey
Pictured left: Brittany and baby Jett in February 2021, along with Briana when she was still expecting. The post read: ‘Being new parents is exhausting, yet wonderful!’
Their post read: ‘Guess what!!?? BOTH couples are pregnant! We are thrilled and grateful to experience overlapping pregnancies and to share this news with you all!
‘Our children will not only be cousins, but full genetic siblings and quaternary multiples! Can’t wait to meet them and for them to meet each other!’
Brittany and Briana met Josh and Jeremy at a festival for twins in 2017 and, following a whirlwind romance, the men both proposed six months later.
The Dean sisters and Salyers brothers have earned attention for their unique story, especially after the men proposed to the women with identical custom rings by Jerrick’s Fine Jewelry, which each had double infinity symbols coated in diamonds
The twins’ wedding aired in a TLC special called Our Twinsane Wedding in February of 2019
The twins said they were ‘grateful to experience overlapping pregnancies and to be able to raise children of the same age together’
They have garnered a lot of attention for their unique story, especially after the men popped the question to the women at the same moment with identical custom rings by Jerrick’s Fine Jewelry, which each had double infinity symbols coated in diamonds.
There were plenty of other twins at their wedding, with 17 in total including them. The event later aired in a TLC special called Our Twinsane Wedding in February of 2019.
Before meeting the sisters, Jeremy said he and his twin brother Josh had made a vow that they would only marry another set of twins.
‘Me and Josh always knew we had to find our twins if we were going to get married — and we told each other that we’ll never be able to unless we find a set of twins that we could fall in love with and marry,’ Jeremy said.
‘We got lucky enough to find them, we couldn’t be happier.’
The sisters were also lucky to find a set of twins who are also happy to dress identically, as they often do. They frequently pose for pictures with both sets of twins in identical outfits.