Today in #TIL: I knew that a mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey. But I *didn't* know that the mule's father (sire) must be the donkey; if the cross is between a horse sire and a donkey mother (dam), then the result isn't a mule, but a "hinny."

And mules and hinnies are different both morphologically and in temperament! And check this out: "In general terms, in both these hybrids the foreparts and head of the animal are similar to those of the sire, while the hindparts and tail are more similar to those of the dam." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinny

Nature is cool and weird. And also, I learned this going down a rabbit hole while reading an article about tomatoes and potatoes. #asstodon