In a whorl

Bovine breakfast time in the farmyard next door reminded me of some fascinating information I recently acquired.

When reading Wilding by Isabella Tree (recommended!) I was intrigued by her description of how it's possible to gauge the temperament of a cow by looking at the position of the hair whorl on its face. All cows have these whorls (as indeed do we.) They are formed in embryo at the same time as the brain and seem to have significant behavioural connections.

It appears that cows (and bulls) with whorls between the eyes are calm and easy to manage while those with higher whorls tend to be excitable. The original research that established this fact was done by Temple Grandin, the celebrated animal behaviour expert whose own profound autism allows her to relate more easily to non-human animals than to people.
It's the same with horses apparently. Clearly it's useful knowledge to have because it enables anyone handling these animals to be aware of which ones are likely to be more nervous and awkward.

Some closer shots of cows' faces in extras.

See here and here for more about this.