About the only genuine prediction that people made based on the theory of evolution was that the fossil record would turn up a slow, steady progression from the old to the new. As Glug's graphic highlights, this was not to be. Instead, the fossil record shows one species after another appearing out of nowhere, remaining remarkably stable for an extraordinary period of time, until they finally vanish. No missing links. Just more and more species whose emergence and demise cannot be explained in any meaningful detail.
Of course, this did not disprove the theory of evolution, as it is not a scientific theory. It is infinitely adaptable to whatever the historical evidence throws up. So they invented a slightly different "prediction", called it punctuated equilibria, and now the evidence matches their predictions once more.
