Just for those out there that don't know about Gould. His theory states that Darwin had the idea of evolution down for the most part, but he was wrong about phylogentic tree of increasing diversity. This is a bigger leap than combining Mendelian genetics to form modern evolution theory. Gould's theory was based on work he was doing here in Canada in Yoho National Park at the Burgess Shale. The Burgess Shale holds millions of fossils from the precambrian explosion that has very bizzarre body types. These all died except for a few types of designs (decimation) and the planet was populated on these few designs(diversification) .
Here is a picture of one of the more odd creatures the Hallucingenia.
http://prelectur.stanford.edu/lectur...ary/index.html
If anyone out there needs to correct me please do so. I am not a biologist by any stretch just a guy who stumbled across his theory while living in Yoho National Park. (Emerald Lake Lodge)