“the theory of evolution”
Didn’t Darwin begin to prove that theory - particularly during his time on the Galapágos Islands - with the finches etc.?
Was that kind of evidence ever presented in ancient texts?
Not really. He presented a of of evidence for variation in species due to adaptation. The end results were still finches just as Great Danes and Chihuahuas are still dogs.
The idea comes before the investigation.
How does the variation in the shape of finch beaks provide evidence that life first came from minerals, water, and static electricity? Darwin did not even see any significance in these finches until someone else pointed that out to him.