题型分类：事实信息题

原文定位：定位词：the lack of intermediate fossils。利用定位词定位到第三段倒数第二句“Intermediate fossil forms, predicted by gradualism, are typically lacking.”，其中提到“predicted by gradualism”，说明 Intermediate fossils 是 gradualism 预测的证据，但是实际是缺失的。

选项分析：

C选项说“challenges the view that evolutionary change is gradual”对应第三段倒数第二句“Intermediate fossil forms, predicted by gradualism, are typically lacking.”

A选项说“has been extensively studied by paleontologists for over a century”，文中无此信息，无中生有。

B选项说“contradicts the idea that most species have remained unchanged for millions of years”，第三段最后一句说“In most localities a given species of clam or coral persists essentially unchanged…”解释了 the lack of intermediate fossils 的原因。因此选项 contradicts 与原文描述不符。

D选项说“is most common in the fossil records of clam and coral species”，第三段最后一句说“In most localities a given species of clam or coral persists essentially unchanged…”，其中 most 修饰的是 localities，因此选项与原文描述不符。