Charles Darwin predicted a gradual migration of the eye in evolution, mirroring the metamorphosis of the living forms. A recent examination of two fossil species from the Eocene shows "the assembly of the flatfish bodyplan occurred in a gradual, stepwise fashion". The intermediate stages survived for quite a long time: over two geological stages. They are found in sites together with flatfish with the full cranial asymmetry. That shows the intermediate stages were at no particular disadvantage. Eventually, the more complete forms did survive. The evolution of flatfish falls squarely within the evolutionary synthesis.