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Are Tigers 'Brainier' Than Lions?
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Hello friends,
I found an article on internet from reliable source that shows tigers have bigger brains, relative to their body size, than lions, leopards or jaguars. Date:September 13, 2009 Source  niversity of Oxford Summary:A wide-ranging study of big cat skulls has shown that tigers have bigger brains, relative to their body size, than lions, leopards or jaguars.  *This image is copyright of its original author Comparison between greatest length of skull and cranial volume amongst leopard (left on the lower line), jaguar (centre on the lower line), lion (right on the lower line), and tiger (on the upper line). Credit: Image courtesy of University of Oxford Short Details The team investigated the relationship between the skull size – the longest length between the front and back parts of the skull – of a large sample of tigers, lions, leopards and jaguars and the volume inside the cats’ respective craniums. The researchers report their findings in this month’s Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 'What we had not expected is that the tiger has clearly much bigger relative brain size than do the other three species, which all have similar relative brain sizes,’ said Dr Nobby Yamaguchi of Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), an author of the report with WildCRU Director Professor David Macdonald. ‘When we compare the two biggest species, on average the lion has a bigger skull than the tiger based on the greatest length of the skull. However, the tiger has bigger cranial volume than the lion. It is truly amazing that tiny female Balinese tiger skulls have cranial volumes as large as those of huge male southern African lion skulls.’ It has sometimes been assumed that social species, such as lions, should have larger brains than solitary species, such as tigers, because of the need to handle a more complex social life within groups or prides. However, despite a few studies suggesting a relationship between big brains and sociality in mammals, evidence for the link is far from clear. Dr Nobby Yamaguchi said: ‘Our results strongly suggest that there is no detectable positive relationship between relative brain size and sociality amongst these four big cat species, which shared a common ancestor around 3.7 million years ago.’The team also looked at the popular idea that tigers are ‘bigger’ than lions (which could mean that the tiger’s relatively bigger brain size simply reflects its bigger body). However, careful re-evaluation of original field data and relatively well-documented hunting records does not support this idea. So the team concluded that the tigers have a relatively bigger brain (around 16 per cent larger) than lions, given their very similar average body sizes. Professor Macdonald said: ‘Two general lessons emerge from our findings: first, how much remains to be discovered about even these most familiar of big cats, and second how important museum collections can be as a source of unexpected insights.’ The next step for the researchers is to try to answer whether such a difference can be explained by intrageneric variation or merely by chance. If not by chance, then it raises the question why the tiger evolved a relatively bigger brain (or why other species evolved smaller brains) after the tiger’s ancestor split from the common ancestor to the other three species. The answers to both these questions may lie in analysing comparative brain anatomy amongst these species (for instance, which parts of the tiger’s brain are bigger than the lion’s) and similar data from extinct relatives of these big cats as well as smaller living relatives such as the snow leopard and clouded leopard. Story Source:The above story is based on materials provided by University of Oxford. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference:
Original Source : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...145030.htm 
They definitely are, not only is their brain case 16% larger but when it comes to trainers describing them, they always say how the tiger is smarter, seems to work things out, and is always processing information. Both Saffoo and Dr. Antle make specific mention to it on the documentory Supercat.
I won't bring up circus trainers, but many of them say the same. I wonder why this is though, because a leopard like a tiger is a solitary hunter and a smart cat, a jaguar is the same but according to one trainer (court) they are "stupid" and "predicatable" but peter said that Stark said her male jag was very smart. So who knows for sure. But "smart" is relative to its surrounding. A jag may not need to be as "smart" as other cats because it is literally the only real predator that hunts that sized prey and also is the ruler of its domain with out question or competition. 
Brain size has nothing to do with intelligence of an animal. It all depends on the neurons. Lions are social cats and work things out in the wild, comparing wild cats to unknown mental condition of captive cats is unfair. Both animals seem to show similuar intelligence in the wild and without futher study other than brain size,I'm afraid there really isn't actual proof who is smarter. Certain trainers will also tell certain stories, each individual could be smarter than the other. Considering how close they are in actual size, it would be like trying to figure out which person is smarter without giving them an i.q. test. Person a. has a larger brain than person b. however that doesn't clearly tell us who is capable of more intelligence.
Nice article though.  Quote:It has sometimes been assumed that social species, such as lions, should have larger brains than solitary species, such as tigers, because of the need to handle a more complex social life within groups or prides. However, despite a few studies suggesting a relationship between big brains and sociality in mammals, evidence for the link is far from clear.@TheLioness As it is clear from the article that social structure does not mean a larger brain. But As I know the most intelligence animals in the worlds are social , for example Chimps, Orangutan, dolphin, crows etc . In animals world from human point of view larger brain is symbol of more intelligence as there is no way to take I.Q test of animals in normal condition. 
Lions = Dolphins of the big cat world.
A large brain is not an indicator of intelligence. Until the late 2013 ''The truth about lions'' docu, experts were not certain why lions do live in prides.The result is astonishing, showing how complex is actually this social lifestyle of the Panthera leo. (05-25-2014, 06:36 PM)'Siegfried' Wrote: "Considering how close they are in actual size"......uh oh..........Indeed, it's like saying a 100kg human is smarter then lets say, a...70 kg one? In the case of animals, social lifestyle/prides/packs evolution is a huge indicator of intelligence. Topic Closed. (05-25-2014, 07:04 PM)'sanjay' Wrote:The article states the tiger having the larger brain, but no indication of them being more intelligent.Quote:It has sometimes been assumed that social species, such as lions, should have larger brains than solitary species, such as tigers, because of the need to handle a more complex social life within groups or prides. However, despite a few studies suggesting a relationship between big brains and sociality in mammals, evidence for the link is far from clear.@TheLioness As it is clear from the article that social structure does not mean a larger brain. But As I know the most intelligence animals in the worlds are social , for example Chimps, Orangutan, dolphin, crows etc . In animals world from human point of view larger brain is symbol of more intelligence as there is no way to take I.Q test of animals in normal condition. A 200 kg red deer had a brain weight of 435 grams, I don't doubt herbivore intelligence, but I would bet the carnivores, even the smaller leopard of 46kg with a brain weight of 157 is smarter than the deer. "The volume of the cranium is used as a rough indicator of the size of the brain, and this in turn is used as a rough indicator of the potential intelligence of the organism. However, larger cranial capacity is not always indicative of a more intelligent organism, since larger capacities are required for controlling a larger body, or in many cases are an adaptive feature for life in a colder environment." It is hard to really answer the question who is smarter with just brain size is all I'm saying. I for one would like to know more on this subject, however I could be wrong a tigers could be smarter, however like I mentioned it could be th opposite.
I agree what you said. No further arguments [img]images/smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Speaking of brain size and intelligence, who do you believe to be the most intelligent little big cat? Cheetah, jaguar, leopard, puma, snow leopard, ect.
I find leopards and pumas to be very intelligent compared to cheetahs and jaguars. I've always assumed the leopard to be one of the smartest of the big cats. [img]images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
According to my knowledge counting Cheetah among big cats is controversial. Many experts don't put Cheetah in big cats. But leave this, as this is not part of discussion.
I also think Leopard is smarter than any other big cats. Base on documentary I saw on big cats I assume they are more successful as solitary predator. But I could be wrong. I think your and mine personal opinion can start a unwanted debate here [img]images/smilies/smile.gif[/img] (05-25-2014, 10:45 PM)'sanjay' Wrote: I also think Leopard is smarter than any other big cats. Base on documentary I saw on big cats I assume they are more successful as solitary predator.Solitary predation is not an indicator of intelligence.Animals that evolved in packs is indeed one of the first steppes and a great indicator towards animals intelligence. If we all go on the evolution theory, from now in 1000mil years, the probability that a human will have a lion face is definatelly more pronounced than a tiger one. I would go as far to say that a tiger is subbstantialy dumber than a lion as any other solitary predator for that matter. A pack of big cats, is pretty much the apogee of predatory/intelligence efficiency from an evo point of view.
It may be your personal view, but i think almost all cats are of equal intelligence level. By seeing the diversity and hunting style of leopard my personal opinion is that leopard are little smarter, may be it is not related to intelligence.
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