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I have a character in the game I'm running who has knowledge yes (50+ added to each roll)
now the question is, on identifying monsters, how would identifying any non-obvious templates they might have work? Like telling an advanced skeleton apart from a normal skeleton, or from an advanced skeletal champion. Or a ghost from a dread ghost? Or is there no way to tell, even with this getting over 50 on a check? I know you can't use it to tell that a creature has class levels (right?)
I don't think there is a rule for this; at least, I don't know of one.
I believe templates should usually have some tell-tale sign. That "advanced" skeleton is advanced because it's bones are a little thicker and stronger. It moves with more coordination and more purpose. Etc. Whatever the tell-tale signs are, someone should be able to identify it if they roll high enough (but how high is a good question that each GM must decide).
Sure, some templates might be completely indistinguishable from the base creature, but I would assume these are the rare exceptions rather than the rule. And as soon as that creature does something extra-special that the base creature could not do, that might give it away (or at least allow a new check to identify the template).
Given the above, remember that the typical DC is 10+CR and the template increases the CR which makes it harder to accurately identify the monster so this is probably working as designed. Furthermore, you could simply rule that a common monster with a template becomes an uncommon monster which raises the base DC.
Another way to handle it might be to give the template information last. The knowledge check learns one piece of information for every 5 points that beats the DC. So if the base monster has 6 interesting abilities to remember and the template adds 1 new interesting ability, and the DC is (for example) 15 (10 + 5 CR), then you could bump it to (for example) DC 21 for the template (15 + 6 CR; assuming the template adds +1 CR). Now the guy rolls and gets a 52, beating the DC by 31, so you tell him 6 interesting things he remembers - but you save the template thing for last since it's the most uncommon/unexpected thing about this monster - and since his roll wasn't high enough to learn all 7 things, he never figures out the template part.
Orc: common creature, CR 1 (rounding up), Knowledge DC = 6.
Roll 6: Know it's an orc
Roll 11: Know it has Ferocity
Roll 16: Know it has light-sensitivity
Uruk-Hai (advanced orc) = uncommon creature CR 2, Knowledge DC = 12.
Roll 12: Know it's an odd-looking orc called an Uruk-Hai
Roll 17: Know it has Ferocity
Roll 22: Know it is an "advanced" version of an orc meaning it's tougher and stronger and harder to kill.
Anything you can learn about an orc can also be learned about an Uruk-Hai, as well as the fact that they are able to move around in bright daylight (Middle Earth version). However, note that I didn't include a "Roll 27: Know it has no light-sensitivity" because in this case there is nothing to know; it would be like "Roll 27: Know it doesn't have poison fangs" or any other nonsense NON-knowledge.