if scientific theories lie on a spectrum of certainty, then "prove" is at the maximum end of that spectrum the "extreme skepticism" you claim the OP has seems

if scientific theories lie on a spectrum of certainty, then "prove" is at the maximum end of that spectrum the "extreme skepticism" you claim the OP has seems more like a cautionary statement about avoiding the extreme assumption that a scientific theory can be "proven" i think the OP is correct here; assuming evolutionary theory can be "proven" is a risky thing to say in a research article