The Department of Zoology springs from the Department of Biology created in the old Faculty of Science (Biology Section) in 1968. In 1986, following a restructuration of the national catalogue of knowledge areas, the Department merged with other Departments of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, becoming part of the Department of Animal Biology, Cellular Biology, Genetics and Parasitology. A few years later the Department and after the Departments of Genetics and Cellular Biology and of Parasitology became independent, it was integrated into the Department of Animal Biology. A new restructuration of the national catalogue of knowledge areas in 2001 led to the establishment of the Department of Zoology with its current format and organization.
The Department of Zoology is involved in the teaching of: Licenciaturas in Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences, and the degrees in Biology, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Science; and in the Master's degrees in Aquaculture and in Biodiversity: Conservation and Evolution.