Mapping the Global Landscape and Research Trends of Polled and Horned Ruminants in Genetics Animal Welfare and Production Systems

Abstract

The management of horned and polled livestock has evolved from a physical husbandry concern into a complex multidisciplinary field. This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric synthesis of the global research landscape regarding horned and polled ruminants from 2001 to 2025. A total of 435 high-quality documents were retrieved from the Web of Science and analyzed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to map temporal trends, geographical distributions, and conceptual structures. The analysis reveals a clear paradigm shift over the past 25 years, transitioning from an exploratory phase focused on the pain management of dehorning to a rapid growth phase centered on genetic selection and genomic mapping. The intellectual structure is organized around five primary axes: animal welfare, genetics, productivity, meat science, and evolutionary biology. While the United States, China, and Western Europe dominate knowledge production, a significant literature deficit exists regarding extensive and tropical systems, specifically concerning local germplasm like Bos indicus. The findings suggest that animal welfare acts as the pivotal conceptual bridge between genetic research and production efficiency. However, the future research agenda must address current geographical disparities by integrating genomic data with holistic performance evaluations in diverse environments.