Size comparisons

[LandSeaLion]

(12-04-2021, 03:59 AM)LoveAnimals Wrote: The lion and the tiger in comparison are two species totally apart with their own subspecies. And there are many characteristics that differentiate them from each other even with regards to the skulls which are so different that even a child would be able to tell them apart and say they are not the same species.
And the differences between these animals in the skulls are not only visual, there are many others.

LION
1. The frontal process of the superior maxillary reaches the level of the fronto-nasal suture, or extends back of this suture.
2. The summit of this process is more or less acute.
3. The nasal bones are flat or
slightly convex, especially toward their frontal extremities.
4. The external opening of the nasal fossae is relatively wider; it widens regularly beginning at the lower part.
5. The interorbital space formed by the frontals is wider, flatter and even commonly excavated; the Lion has a forehead which is wide and flat, transversely as well as longitudinally.
6. The temporal part of the frontals is relatively less developed; the fronto-parietal sutures are placed further forward.
7. The posterior palatine foramen is closer to the orbital border.
8. The inferior border of the mandible has a rather convex form; below the carnassial, this border presents a sort of tuberosity which is more or less pronounced (ramal process of English authors). This shape is such that a mandible of a Lion lying on a table on this inferior border can not touch the table at the symphysis and the angular process at the same time.
9. The coronoid process does not project behind the condyle.

TIGER
1. The frontal process of the superior maxillary does not reach the fronto-nasal suture.
2. The summit of this process is truncated.
3. the nasal bones are very convex throughout their length.
4. The external opening of the nasal fossae is relatively narrower; it widens regularly, only up to a certain height, beginning at the lower part.
5. The interorbital space is narrower and always convex: the Tiger has a forehead which is narrower and more arched.
6. The temporal part of the frontals is relatively more developed; the fronto-parietal sutures are placed further back.
7. The posterior palatine foramen is further removed from the orbital border.
8. The inferior border of the mandible has a rather straight and even concave form; there is no tuberosity below the carnassial. The mandible placed on a table rests on the symphysis and on the angular process at the same time.
9. The coronoid process projects behind the condyle.

(Merriam and Stock 1932, pp. 181-182)

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

The Lion skull (top) is generally flatter and the face is upturned. On the other hand, the Tiger skull (bottom) has a rounded look to it with the face tilted sharply downwards. When the skull + mandible is placed squarely on a flat surface, the Lion skull will rock forwards and backwards, primarily due to the rounded ventral margin of the mandible, the tuberosity below the carnassial (m1) as described by Boule (1906). The Tiger skull on the other hand will just sit there firmly.

Kind of a tangent from the main discussion, but honestly, you’d be surprised. Even experts do have difficulty telling lion and tiger skeletons apart from each other sometimes. Sometimes identification errors happen with cats that are even more blatantly distinct from each other.

Here’s an example - at the 1:30 mark, Dr. Luke Hunter, Chief Conservation Officer of Panthera, confidently discusses the differences between an African leopard skull and a cheetah skull…with the minor problem that the “cheetah” skull he is holding is actually that of a snow leopard:

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