Nothing could have prepared Maria and Lucy Aylmer’s parents for the surprise in the delivery room when they found out they were expecting twins in 1996. Because, although the Aylmers knew their twins would not be identical, they had no clue how different the girls would appear.

After all, how frequently do parents have twins with different skin tones than themselves? Because of their natal looks, many people worried about what the girls would look like as they grew older. That seems reasonable considering that something like this doesn’t happen every day.

Maria and Lucy Aylmer were born on January 16, 1997, in this instance. They share a mother and father and are unmistakably twins. Their mom, on the other hand, was taken aback when the twins were delivered to her in the delivery room. Yes, her newborn daughters couldn’t have been more different.

“However, her mother dressed the girls in the same outfits over and over during their childhood.” Of course, this did little to disguise their physical differences. The two girls didn’t seem to be sisters, let alone twins. In fact, as they got older, the girls had difficulty convincing anyone that they were sisters at all!

Donna Douglas, the daughters’ mother, is a 49-year-old warehouse worker of mixed ethnicity and Jamaican ancestry. Vince Aylmer, a 55-year-old scaffolder, is their father. The girls have three older siblings with quite diverse skin tones. So now comes the science.

Lucy and Maria were born as fraternal twins from distinct eggs. This implies that they did not share the same genes. She possesses genes for both Afro-Caribbean and white complexions due to her mother’s mixed-race origin. As a result, the twins’ skin color would be determined by a lottery in the womb.

George, 25, and Jordan, 23, the twins’ elder brothers, and Chynna, 24, their older sister, all have a light brown complexion. Maria and Lucy are diametrically opposed to their siblings: Lucy has a very pale complexion, while Maria’s skin is deeper in tone.

“Our siblings have a skin that is between Mary and me,” Lucy says. We are on opposite ends of the spectrum, while they are all in the center. My grandmother, like me, had a very fair English pink complexion.” The girls’ differences go beyond their skin tones.

For example, Lucy has blue eyes, but Maria has brown eyes. Maria has a tangle of dense black curls in her hair, but Lucy is a redhead who likes to straighten her natural curls. Their personalities are also very different.

Maria is much more extroverted and self-assured than her sister. “I love meeting new people,” Maria said to Inside Edition. “I’m not afraid to approach people.” “I, on the other hand, am,” Lucy confessed. “I’m terrified of walking up to random strangers.” And the distinctions don’t stop there.

To add to the confusion, the girls’ fashion choices are diametrically opposed. Maria, for example, enjoys dressing up and prefers fitted clothing and an exquisite appearance. Lucy, on the other hand, favors more casual clothing.