The Institute was founded in 1965 by Prof. Dr. Manfred Roehrs (†). His major research focus was domestication research. Prof. Roehrs retired in 1993. In 1992, Prof. Dr. Stephan Steinlechner accepted a call for a professorship in comparative animal physiology  and introduced his research program on the ecophysiology of mammals. In 1996, Prof. Dr. Elke Zimmermann accepted a call for a professorship in Zoology and introduced her research program on the behavioral physiology and evolution of primates. In 1998, PD Dr. Sabine Schmidt accepted a call for a Hochschuldozentur (Associate Professor) in sensory biology and introduced her research program on the psychoacoustics of mammals and the behavioral physiology of bats. In 2003 PD Dr. Karl-Heinz Esser established his own working group on the neuroethology of auditory communication in mammals. In 2004 Dr. Heike Pröhl accepted a call for a junior professorship and enlarged the section on behavior and evolution by her research program on behavioral and evolutionary ecology of frogs. Dr. Ute Radespiel habilitated in 2005 and established her research program on behavioral ecology and conservation genetics of lemurs.

Five different research fields (behavioral and evolutionary ecology and conservation, - behavioral and sensory physiology, - energetics and metabolic physiology, - organismic neurobiology, - evolutionary biology) with various internal, national and international cooperations have been established. The major aim of the research program of the Institute of Zoology is the study of processes and mechanisms of the evolution of biological diversity in vertebrates. Model systems are of ecological, evolutionary or biomedical importance such as frogs, bats, rodents, tree shrews and primates. Research projects are financially supported by the German Research Council (Prof. Dr. Elke Zimmermann is spokesperson of the DFG research unit "Acoustic communication of emotions in nonhuman mammals and man / for499, PD Dr. Ute Radespiel is coordinator of the DFG Joint Project Initiative "Research on tropical endemism on Madagascar"), the Volkswagen-Stiftung, the Stifterverband fuer die Deutsche Wissenschaft, the German Academic Exchange Council (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD), the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, the Cusanus-Werk, the Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft as well as by grants from the industry.
The following methods have been established:

1. experimental analysis of behavioral patterns in the field and the laboratory (radiotelemetry, videometry, OBSERVER, INTERACT, SIGNAL, AVISOFT, BATSOUND, bioacoustics, psychoacoustics, biostatistics)
2. physiological  characterization of sensory and behavioral states and their humoral and neural control (automatic activity recording, conditioning, heart rate telemetry, HPLC, RIA; functional neuroanatomy by tracing-techniques, immuncytochemistry, electrophysiology, cell cultures)
3. experimental analysis of animal populations in nature and their spatial and temporal organisation (transect-measurements, capture-recapture-techniques, GIS, ArcView, RANGES, radiotelemetry, biochemical and energetic measurements, DNA-fingerprinting techniques, molecular genetics of affinities within and between populations and species, phylogenetic analysis with PAUP, PHYLLIS etc.)

Lectures, courses, seminars and excursions in Zoology are provided for students in Biology and Veterinary Medicine in the fields of animal physiology, behavioral biology, tropical ecology, neurobiology and zoology (incl. primatology). The Institute takes part at the Bachelor Programs "Biology" (B.Sc., Biology, minor, major, technical education, ecotrophology), the Master Program "Animal Biology and Biomedical Research", two PhD programmes "Veterinary Research and Animal Biology " and "Systems Neuroscience". Prof's Steinlechner & Zimmermann and PD's Esser & Schmidt are members of the Center for Systems Neuroscience Hannover, Prof's Pröhl, Steinlechner & Zimmermann and PD Radespiel are members of the Center for Evolutionary Research and Experimental Biodiversity (ZEES). Every year more than 450 students  are enrolled. The students of veterinary medicine and the students of biology take part in written or oral examinations.

The Institute of Zoology coordinates the IAC-Program "Tropical Biology in Costa Rica" of the German Academic Exchange Council (DAAD) for Scientists and Students between the Tieraerztlichen Hochschule Hannover and the Faculty of Biology and Veterinary Medicine of the University Heredia (close to San Jose) in Costa Rica. (TiHo Program officer: Prof. Pröhl)
It has established a Sandwich-Cooperation Program for Scientists and Students on the Diversity and Evolution of Malagasy Lemurs with the Faculty of Biology at the University of Antananarivo and ANGAP, Madagascar (TiHo Program officer: Prof. Zimmermann). This program is supported by the DAAD and DFG. The Institute takes part at the DFG-Research Training Groups "Characterization of Pathophysiological Animal Models" of the Medical University Hannover and the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover as well as in the EU-Marie Curie Early Stage Training Site of the Center for Systems Neuroscience.
Graduate courses, lectures and seminars in Bioacoustics/Psychoacoustics/ Behavioral Biology/Primatology/Herpetology are also open for interested students of non-Hannover universities (Language: German or English). Participation in field research in Costa Rica, Madagascar and South East Asia is possible. Externally funded MScs, PhDs and PostDocs interested to participate in one of our research projects are welcomed to apply.