NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Scientists at Vanderbilt University have solved the age-old question: Which animal is smarter, cats or dogs?

The study found that dogs are significantly smarter with more cortical neurons in their brains than cats. Dogs have an estimated 530 million cortical neurons compared to cats, which have 250 million neurons. Neurons in the cerebral cortex are connected to thinking, planning, and complex behavior.

“In this study, we were interested in comparing different species of carnivorans to see how the numbers of neurons in their brains relate to the size of their brains, including a few favorite species including cats and dogs, lions and brown bears,” said Associate Professor of Psychology and Biological Sciences Suzana Herculano-Houzel.

Carnivorous animals were compared in the study, consisting of 280 species of mammals characterized by teeth and claws allowing them to eat animals.

“I believe the absolute number of neurons an animal has, especially in the cerebral cortex, determines the richness of their internal mental state and their ability to predict what is about to happen in their environment based on past experience,” said Herculano-Houzel.

Humans are still superior with 16 billion neurons in their brains.