Final answer:
Evolution can be affected by rapid climate change, potentially leading to quicker evolutionary changes similar to the punctuated equilibrium model, rather than the gradual evolution often associated with the gradualism model.
Step-by-step explanation:
Evolution is indeed a natural process that occurs over time and involves a change in the characteristics of living things, attributed to natural selection. When geologic and climatic conditions are stable, the model of evolution called gradualism may apply, inferring that evolution occurs slowly. However, the model known as punctuated equilibrium depicts evolution as potentially more rapid during times of sudden change, as supported by the fossil record.
This can occur when niches are left open by abrupt geological or climatic changes, leading to bursts of evolutionary activity. Therefore, the assertion that evolution may be disrupted or accelerated by rapid climate change, as mentioned in the question, could indeed be true, reflecting the principles of punctuated equilibrium.
While mutations occur randomly, natural selection is not a random process, since it favors traits that are advantageous for survival and reproduction in a given environment. Thus, evolution through natural selection is not random but is affected by changing environmental pressures. With the rapid rate of current climate change, evolutionary processes may be affected. However, whether this constitutes a 'disruption' of evolution or simply a shift towards more rapid evolutionary changes in response to new selective pressures is a matter of semantics and scientific interpretation.