GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
There are fewer than 100 identical quadruplets in the world.
A 26-year-old Indian woman has given birth to rare identical quadruplets and the girls are healthy after their first six weeks of life, an Indian news agency reported Friday.Shruthi Vivekanandan, a software programmer from the southern city of Madras, delivered Aditi, Aakriti, Akshathi and Aapthi on April 25, Press Trust of India said.
I dare you to say their names -- fast -- three times! Just imagine the parents trying to call out to one of them ..
The babies were born 10 weeks early and weighed between 1.8 pounds and 2.2 pounds, said Dr. Meena Thiagarajan at Apollo Hospital, where the girls were born.Despite their premature birth, the babies are healthy and swiftly gaining weight, doctors said.
Comments
"I dare you to say their names -- fast -- three times! Just imagine the parents trying to call out to one of them"
Pfft! If there's actually a problem, they'll use nicknames, but those leading vowels are not a problem. Kids adapt too... I have an uncle from India, and his kids (and nephews/nieces) had to get past a "banana problem" as they grew up and learned to write their (or uncle's) surname.
But you know, it's not that big a deal. Heck, my mom still has one of those decorate-your-own plates, wherein I misspelled my own middle name at age 6 or so.
Posted by: David Harmon
| June 10, 2006 7:34 AM
"There are fewer than 100 identical quadruplets in the world. "
Unless you're an armadillo, of course. Then you're automatically an identical quad.
Posted by: Diane Kelly | June 12, 2006 9:36 PM
I know a few of the surnames of the world's identical quadruplets. Here they are.
Khamsa
Breedlove
Karma
Morlok
and many others. These 3 are the only 3 i remember
Posted by: Jigglypuff | June 20, 2006 11:17 PM