Mr.

But within a decade, the trim British scientist with the tidy ponytail was a National Geographic heroine, whose books and films educated a worldwide audience with stories of the apes she called David Graybeard, Mr. McGregor, Gilka and Flo.

Although she had no qualifications, Mr Leakey saw her potential and helped arrange her first research trip to the jungles of Tanzania in 1960.

Mr Sherborne added that a separate record allegedly showed a journalist commissioning a private investigator to provide a "mobile phone conversion" related to Catherine and phone numbers from a "family and friends" list.

Mr Sherborne said the bid to throw out parts of the claim was largely "unreasonably and unfairly late" and should be dismissed.

BBC Scotland understands a post mortem examination has yet to take place as not enough of Mr Wright's body has been found.