Zoology aims to understand all forms of animal life across all environments, both terrestrial and marine. This includes: Animals that may be domesticated or farmed, such as livestock, lab animals or pets. Organisms that are serious pests or disease-causing agents. Species that are an integral part of The University of Edinburgh natural environment and a key species in their ecological communities

No matter how these animals fit into their environment, there is an underlying need to understand their behavior, population dynamics, physiology, and the way they interact with other species and their environments.

As a consequence, zoology pulls on all the disciplines covered across the school of biological sciences, from cell and molecular biology, developmental biology, parasitology, animal behavior, population biology and ecology - all underpinned by evolutionary thinking.