Herbivorous livestock, such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and donkeys, play a crucial role in agricultural production and possess remarkable resilience to extreme environmental conditions, driven by complex genetic mechanisms. Recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing, genome assembly, and environmental data integration have enabled a deeper understanding of the genetic basis of their environmental adaptation. This review identifies key genes associated with high-altitude, heat, cold, and drought adaptation, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits. By elucidating these genetic adaptations, our study aims to support conservation efforts, inform selective breeding programs, and enhance agricultural productivity, ultimately contributing to sustainable livestock farming and economic benefits for farmers.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani15050748 | DOI Listing |
Camb Prism Extinct
January 2025
PJ Consulting, Musselburgh, East Lothian, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
This perspective positions rewilding as a novel approach to ecosystem restoration, emphasising the restoration of natural processes to create self-willed ecosystems. Central to European rewilding is the de-domestication of cattle and horses to act as functional analogues of the extinct aurochs and wild horses. This de-extinction pathway shifts the focus from the loss of species to the loss of their ecological roles caused by human actions commencing millennia ago.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
March 2025
Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding and Ecological Feeding, College of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China.
Herbivorous livestock, such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and donkeys, play a crucial role in agricultural production and possess remarkable resilience to extreme environmental conditions, driven by complex genetic mechanisms. Recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing, genome assembly, and environmental data integration have enabled a deeper understanding of the genetic basis of their environmental adaptation. This review identifies key genes associated with high-altitude, heat, cold, and drought adaptation, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Adv Res
March 2025
The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK; College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, PR China. Electronic address:
Introduction: The impact of non-antibiotic feed additives on livestock performance and health is contingent upon a multitude of variables, including the animal species, dosage and type of feed additives, and duration of oral administration. However, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding the relationship between these factors and the performance of livestock animals.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to conduct a global meta-analysis based on a pool of empirical studies to investigate the effects of dietary additives on growth, production, blood metabolites, immunity, intestinal morphology, and the abundance of gut microbiota in livestock.
Am J Bot
March 2025
Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, 77843-2258, TX, USA.
Premise: Understanding relationships among grass traits, fire, and herbivores may help improve conservation strategies for savannas that are threatened by novel disturbance regimes. Emerging theory, developed in Africa, emphasizes that functional traits of savanna grasses reflect the distinct ways that fire and grazers consume biomass. Specifically, functional trade-offs related to flammability and palatability predict that highly flammable grass species will be unpalatable, while highly palatable species will impede fire.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
March 2025
College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China.
Parturition and lactation stress greatly affect physiological and metabolic status of postpartum cows. Monitoring feeding behavior can help assess the health status of postpartum cows. This study aimed to explore the changes in feeding behavior, milk yield (MY), serum indexes, and metabolites of dairy cows during three weeks postpartum.
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