Was Gould accused of denying gradual evolution?
Some have misinterpreted punctuated equilibrium as a complete rejection of gradual change. That's not the case. Niles Eldredge and I never denied that gradual evolution occurs. Our point was about *emphasis* and the *dominant pattern* observed in the fossil record. We argued that long periods of stasis followed by rapid bursts of change are frequently more evident than continuous, slow modification. It's a recalibration of our understanding of evolutionary tempos, not an outright dismissal of gradualism.
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