The University of Texas, Austin (USA) has said it is missing about 100 brains – about half of the specimens in the university’s collection.
Professor Tim Schallert, the co-curator of the collection, said: “We think somebody may have taken the brains, but we don’t know at all for sure”.
The university said in a statement that it will investigate “the circumstances surrounding this collection since it came here nearly 30 years ago” and that it is “committed to treating the brain specimens with respect”.