Darwin is a god like figure in the pantheon of great scientists. So what do you do? Trash the god? Or punt? He punted. Understandable human reaction. Scientists know that Gould was right. But the name "Darwin" is a powerful franchise. And you don't dump the name for something ephemeral like "punctuated equilibrium" with out paying a price.
Good point. Very similar to Freud - father of Psychology - a god in the field, yet by today's standard, hopelessly unaware - a condition shared with Darwin. A condition that doesn't take away from either man's greatness...
Darwin wasn't hoplessly unaware. He understood the problem and considered both options. And both options are correct. Evolution is rapid after mass extinctions and slow for the majority of the time.
Agreed.