The Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, founded in 1860, was a distinguished science department that merged on August 1, 2022, with Plant Sciences to form the Department of Biology. It boasted an impressive legacy, having hosted three Nobel Laureates—Peter Medawar, Niko Tinbergen, and Sir John Gurdon—along with numerous other award-winning scientists like Crafoord and Copley Medal recipients. For decades, the department was primarily based in the iconic Tinbergen Building, a large Modernist structure designed by Sir Leslie Martin and opened in 1971.

However, the Tinbergen Building faced closure in February 2017 due to extensive asbestos contamination and was subsequently demolished in spring 2020. The newly formed Department of Biology is now set to move into the state-of-the-art £200m Life & Mind Building, which is scheduled to open in 2024 and will also house the Department of Experimental Psychology.