What theory proposes that evolution occurs in bursts rather than gradually?

Punctuated equilibrium is the theory that suggests evolution occurs in rapid bursts of change, followed by long periods of stability, where species experience little to no evolutionary change. This theory was proposed by paleontologists Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge in the early 1970s, as a way to explain the patterns observed in the fossil record. Instead of gradual transformation, punctuated equilibrium posits that significant evolutionary changes often happen relatively quickly, corresponding with periods of environmental change or major events.

This contrasts with other theories, such as uniformitarianism, which asserts that the same processes observed today have always operated in the same way throughout geological time, suggesting a more gradual and constant pace of change. Common descent, on the other hand, refers to the idea that all living organisms share a common ancestor, which does not directly relate to the pace of evolutionary change. Genetic drift describes the random changes in allele frequencies within a population, which can affect evolution but does not specifically characterize the timing of evolutionary changes as punctuated equilibrium does.