Final answer:
A person who studies ancient bones, rocks, and plants is known as a paleontologist, which is a scientist specialized in the study of prehistoric life through fossils.
Step-by-step explanation:
A person who studies ancient bones, rocks, and plants is called a paleontologist. Paleontologists are scientists who study prehistoric life, from the smallest bacteria to the largest dinosaurs, and even prehistoric plants. Their work involves searching for and examining fossils to understand how life on Earth has evolved and how different species interacted with each other and with their environment. This requires knowledge in various scientific fields, including mathematics, biology, ecology, chemistry, and geology.
Some paleontologists may specialize in studying ancient plants, known as paleobotanists, helping to trace the evolution of plant life through the history of our planet. There are also archaeobotanists, who are specialists studying plants and seeds within archaeological contexts. The study of fossils is a branch of biology known as paleontology, and aside from dinosaurs, it includes the study of various life forms and their environmental contexts represented in the fossil records.