A male lion and female tiger can produce a liger, the world’s largest big cat. A male tiger and female lion, by contrast, yield a tigon, which is noticeably smaller. Ligers (lion father, tiger mother) can exceed 400 kg (880 lb), dwarfing the typical male lion (230 kg) or female tiger (170 kg). This gigantism arises because growth-suppressing genes, present in both pure species, are absent or silenced in the hybrid, allowing unchecked development. Tigons (tiger father, lion mother) average just 180 kg, sometimes lighter than the mother lion (up to 181 kg). Here, growth-inhibiting genes from both parents remain active, capping size. Though ligers and tigons share identical parental species, the direction of the cross dramatically alters gene expression and final body mass—illustrating the powerful, nuanced role of maternal and paternal genetics in hybrid development.