Biology Spl

The scientific study of fossils is called Paleontology.
The Science you speak of is generally referred to as Paleontology- literally the study of old bones, as it is concerned with fossils. If one is dealing with Human fossils- such as Neanderthal relics, one might consult fossil anthropologists- such as the late Dr. Leakey. There is a distinction between anthropologists who study extinct societies- like the famous Margaret Mead, and those who study and theorize about the ancestors of man. As fossils are quite incomplete( this is true with animal remains, also- and some body parts, as we know, do not fossilize). There is a good deal of theoretical work involved.
Paleontologists study prehistoric animal and plant life remains found in fossils