Samenvatting

The Department of Pathobiology of the Veterinary Faculty at the University of Utrecht is investigating the causes of the death of stranded porpoises. The causes of death of porpoises are assessed by internal and external investigation at the Utrecht University. At dissections, the organs of the dead porpoise are extracted and weighed to determine the cause of death. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Utrecht has weighed the organs for years but to this day do not know why. Therefore, they find it important to do research into the purpose of weighing these organs. The aim of this investigation is to gain insight into the function of the weighing of organs from a dead porpoise within pathological context. Through this investigation, a recommendation will be given to Utrecht University about continuing the weighing of organs from dead porpoises. The relationship between the weight of the organs with the cause of death of the animal is hereby central. The data used for this investigation is collected from the existing data of the Department of Pathobiology from research into the human related causes of death of the Harbour Porpoise that have washed up on the shores of the North Sea. In addition to the data of the University Utrecht, a literature study about mean values of organ weights of porpoises and a survey of other pathology institutions was done. To calculate the correlation between the weight of organs and the body weight of porpoises from the data of Utrecht University, the Pearson correlation was used. As a control, scatter plots were created. The results of the literature study were analysed and compared with each other. In conclusion the weight of the various organs and the body weight of porpoises have an adequate to significant correlation. No relationship between the weight of organs and the cause of death of porpoise is found. The advice to Utrecht University to not continue weighing the organs of the stranded porpoises.