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shocked. I never considered something similar occurring in humans. I also
noticed high heritability of double whorls in horses. I once saw double
whorls in fifteen out of eighteen offspring from one stallion that had double
whorls. I considered this more than just a coincidence, but was no closer to
understanding why double-whorled horses have such unique and unusual
behavioral traits.
A Predisposition to Pathology?
I finally found a clue in one of the most unlikely places, and it wasn't a
horse that provided the clue. I was in a Laundromat one night washing my
clothes and noticed a young boy there with his mother. He was obviously a
“problem child”, running around wildly, climbing on washers and making
noise. Each time his mother tried to settle him down, he was up and running
again within minutes. When he happened by me, I noticed two pronounced
whorls on the back of his scalp. Unable to contain my curiosity, I struck up
a conversation with his mother. I asked the usual questions about handedness
in her and her husband. She said she was right handed but her husband was
ambidextrous. When she asked what it meant, I explained what I noticed in
horses. I also explained the unusual behavior in horses with double whorls.
With a disconcerted look on her face, she told me that six months earlier her
son was well-behaved, and only recently started to change. When I asked
what had happened to make him change, she mentioned being recently sepa-
rated from her husband and going through a difficult divorce. They were
sharing custody and she explained some inconsistencies in the way each of
them handled their son. She tried to reason with her son if he was misbehav-
ing, and her husband thought spankings were more appropriate. I thought to
myself, “Many children go through the divorce of their parents and accept it
well. What was different about him?” Maybe horses with two whorls are
over-reactive and more likely to exhibit behavior problems when faced with
inconsistent handling or mistreatment? I decided it was time to find out.
Soon after my experience with the boy and his mother, I traveled to
Colorado to meet with Temple Grandin at Colorado State University. Her
reputation as an objective, open-minded, scientist preceded her. If anyone
could help me understand, she could. What follows in the next section is the
scientific evidence that we collected over the next 20 years, and research
conducted by others that supports my observations.
The Science of Hair Whorls in Humans
A review of the human pediatrics literature reveals that hair and brain form
from the same fetal cell layer during gestation. At about the 10th week, rapid
development of the brain and the hemispheres occurs and the cranial vault
rapidly enlarges to a domelike shape (
Hall et al., 1989; Kiil, 1948; Smith
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