These total strangers are doppelgängers. A new study says they share DNA, too — changing what we know about genetics.

Hilary BrueckSep 9, 2022, 03:02 IST

Pedro Soto and Albert Kaotico, a couple who are so similar they share DNA. They got married earlier this year.François Brunelle

People who look alike share similar DNA, a new study of 32 doppelgängers has found.
The research sheds new light on which parts of our genetic code shape our face.

Pedro Soto sees the resemblance — but Albert Kaotico doesn't.

The Spanish couple, photographed above in 2015, are part of a decades-long project, that has brought together hundreds of doppelgängers in front of photographer François Brunelle's lens.

And as it turns out, the physical similarities between Soto and Kaotico are more than just skin deep.

Scientists recently discovered that some unrelated look-alikes — including Soto and Kaotico — share a surprising amount of DNA in common – and those similar snips of genetic material may govern their looks in some predictable ways.

The finding is the result of a unique new study, a collaboration between Spanish scientists who study genetics and the French-Canadian photographer who has been capturing these unrelated "look-alike" pairs around the world for more than two decades.

Take a look at their striking results.

Everyone in the world shares about 99.9% of our DNA. That's what makes us human beings.

Karen Chu and Ashlee Wong were photographed in Culver City, California, in 2013.François Brunelle

This new study suggests you may share a significant proportion of that 0.1% — the "unique," heritable DNA that makes you yourself — with a total stranger.

Joshua Corrigan is from the US, while Francisco Costela is from Spain.François Brunelle

"I'm so, so fascinated by the likeness of people," the photographer, Brunelle, told Insider. "Who am I? Who are we?"

Jessica Gagnon went out with Jeanne Bédard's best friend, and she says everyone got them confused. (This pair was not included in the study.)François Brunelle

Researchers found that what makes these people look alike is written in their DNA, with them from birth.

Anouk Spiele and Doortje-Grunder Bleeker were photographed in Utrecht in 2015. This pair was not included in the new study.François Brunelle

"In the lottery of genes, we get the same numbers for the nose, and for the mouth, for the ears," Brunelle said.

Garrett Levenbrook and Roniel Tessler, photographed together in New York in 2013.François Brunelle

The study changes what we know about genetics: Some of the genetic information these pairs share had never been associated with appearances before.

Ayanna Bryant and Lindsey Sampson photographed together in Atlanta in 2014. This pair was not included in the new study.François Brunelle

The scientists used three separate facial recognition tools for the project. Each one was fooled into thinking these 16 pairs were the exact same person.

The study sampled DNA from 32 look-alike pairs that Brunelle has photographed.Francois Brunelle via Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute

The likenesses between these doppelgängers didn't end with their appearances and their DNA, either.

In addition to a similar appearance, these women also share a name. (Kathrin Goldinger and Kathrin Goedecke, photographed in Mannheim, Germany in 2012.)François Brunelle

But even true look-alikes can appear quite different from each other when Brunelle gets them into the studio, and interacting face to face.

Pierre Rondou and Camille Dubé photographed in Montreal in 2004.François Brunelle

For Brunelle, the new science is an interesting bonus to his work, but it's hardly the point of the artistic endeavor — bringing look-alikes together, in person, to interact in front of the camera.

Tudor is from Hungary, while Patrick is French-Canadian. This pair was not included in the new study.François Brunelle

For Brunelle, the new science is an interesting bonus to his work, but it's hardly the point of the artistic endeavor — bringing look-alikes together, in person, to interact in front of the camera.

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These total strangers are doppelgängers. A new study says they share DNA, too &mdash; changing what we know about genetics.

Everyone in the world shares about 99.9% of our DNA. That's what makes us human beings.

This new study suggests you may share a significant proportion of that 0.1% — the "unique," heritable DNA that makes you yourself — with a total stranger.

"I'm so, so fascinated by the likeness of people," the photographer, Brunelle, told Insider. "Who am I? Who are we?"

Researchers found that what makes these people look alike is written in their DNA, with them from birth.

"In the lottery of genes, we get the same numbers for the nose, and for the mouth, for the ears," Brunelle said.

The study changes what we know about genetics: Some of the genetic information these pairs share had never been associated with appearances before.

The scientists used three separate facial recognition tools for the project. Each one was fooled into thinking these 16 pairs were the exact same person.

The likenesses between these doppelgängers didn't end with their appearances and their DNA, either.

But even true look-alikes can appear quite different from each other when Brunelle gets them into the studio, and interacting face to face.

For Brunelle, the new science is an interesting bonus to his work, but it's hardly the point of the artistic endeavor — bringing look-alikes together, in person, to interact in front of the camera.

These total strangers are doppelgängers. A new study says they share DNA, too — changing what we know about genetics.