Are both natural selection and evolution proven?

Darwin and Wallace first proposed the theory of natural selection, which is essentially the selection of a genetic trait and passing it on from one generation to the next, which may or may not prove to be advantageous for the survival of an organism.

A hereditary trait that is advantageous to the survival of the species is kept and passed on to the next generation; if not, the trait is eliminated gradually in the following generations. In certain cases, the trait that is unfit for survival may be eliminated as the entire species may be eliminated from the gene pool, leading to the natural extinction of that specific species.

The main mechanism for evolution is Natural Selection; as Darwin and Wallace noted, natural selection of survival-related traits tends to modify the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of individuals within a species over the course of generations and may even cause the emergence of new species from extant ones. Natural Selection serves as the foundation for the theory of evolution.

Examples of traits evolving through natural selection include the gradual loss of human tailbones, pinna elongation, and reduction in head size due to compaction.

Yes, both natural selection and evolution are scientifically supported theories that have been extensively researched and validated through numerous observations, experiments, and empirical evidence gathered from various fields such as biology, genetics, paleontology, and ecology.