Man Researching Family Tree Discovers ‘Secret’ Which Instantly Humbled Him

Many people go through their family tree to get a better understanding of their ancestry, but when one TikToker did this, he got quite a surprise.

Lukas Battle shared a video on TikTok (@lukasbattle) revealing that while researching his family tree, he discovered an incredible resemblance with one of his relatives. After coming across an old photo of his great-great-great aunt Katherine, Battle was left speechless by how similar they look.

He joked that “nothing has humbled [him] more” than realizing he looks almost identical to a colonial woman. Everything from their faces to their hair looks like he could be staring into a mirror, and not at a picture from generations ago.

He posted the revelation in a hilarious TikTok video, and it has quickly gone viral. In just a matter of days, the clip has gained more than 882,400 views and more than 170,700 likes.

His similarity to Katherine certainly came as a surprise for Battle, who doesn’t seem to have adjusted to the revelation yet.

“This is the truth I have to live with every single day. This is real,” he said on TikTok.

Battle still can’t get over the resemblance, even joking that “she stole my face.”

He continued: “The idea that I resemble a colonial seamstress is something that I don’t think I can fully recover from.”

Having a doppelgänger is often portrayed as some obscure science fiction plot rather than a reality, but in 2022, research was published that delves deeper into why some people might actually have a look-alike.

Along with a team of researchers, Dr. Manel Esteller discovered that people who look alike share common genetic sequences and microbiome profiles. In turn, this can cause similar face traits and human likenesses.

The study also highlighted that shared genetic variation didn’t just correlate to physical similarities, but also had an influence on habits and behavior. They found that weight, height, smoking, and education were all correlated in look-alike pairs.

The Social Media Response

After going public with his “secret” doppelgänger, Battle has been inundated with reactions online.

His viral TikTok video has amassed over 1,900 comments so far, and as some people admired the resemblance, others were amazed to see Katherine back with us in 2024.

One comment reads: “I need you to recreate the look.”

Another TikTok user responded: “you better be grateful Ms. Katherine passed down that face card!”

“You can’t tell me reincarnation isn’t real after this,” joked another person.

Others think the similarities go further than just appearance, as one TikToker wrote: “I can’t explain it, but I just know she sounded like you too.”

Newsweek reached out to @lukasbattle via email for comment.

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