› added 3 years ago

172

TIL dogs are perfectly capable of digesting starches despite being descendants of "carnivorous" wolves. Even though they share most of their genetics, modern dogs carry 22 copies of a gene that codes for an enzyme that breaks down starches, while wolves only carry 2 copies of it.

Read more nature.com

via reddit.com

5VgvR TIL That Andre The Giant Let Out A 16-Second Fart That Brought Production Of The Princess Bride To A Standstill
KOm7Q TIL that the Taiwanese Parliament is notorious for having brawls during Legislative Sessions. I also just learned that this is called Legislative Violence and is not at all too uncommon when the Legislature are dealing with divisive issues and tight votes.
J1LZv TIL about the "Rolleron" - a 'dumb'/passive/non-electrical stability system that was used for the early sidewinders. It acts by having the wind spin up rollers, creating a gyroscopic effect. The rollers were placed on hinges, so as the missile spun the rollers stopped the roll by acting as rudders.
4k8oN TIL about the hindu goddess Kamadhenu, mother of all cows and a deity who is considered a miraculous cow of plenty. She was depicted as a white cow with wings, a female head and boobs and tail of a peafowl.
9YmNp TIL David Bowie didn't have different colored eyes (heterochromia), but different sized pupils (anisocoria).