"I didn't realize evolution had gone from being a theory to being "proven"?"
Species have been appearing and disappearing for millions of years. You can see it for yourself in the fossil record.
Just out of curiosity, can you provide an example of a specie that ever existed that no longer exists in any form--such as reptiles. There is a bit of bait-and-switch in most evolutionary discussions. No one debates whether species vary with environmental conditions. That's called adaptation. What's in question is whether one species can become another one. Can you provide even one example of that with evidence?
Hank