Final answer:
Darwin interpreted the fossil record as evidence for evolution, supporting the idea that species change over time. He believed in gradualism, but the fossil record may better support punctuated equilibrium.
Step-by-step explanation:
Charles Darwin interpreted the fossil record as evidence for evolution in his book, On the Origin of Species. He argued that the presence of fossils of extinct species and the similarities between fossils and living organisms supported the idea that species change over time. Darwin believed that the fossil record showed a gradual transition from ancient forms to modern species, which is known as gradualism. However, more recent evidence suggests that the fossil record better supports the model of punctuated equilibrium, where long periods of little change are interrupted by bursts of rapid change.