I think there is a big misconception about 'progress'. It would be fairer
to say that it is on the path of change. When you get right down to it, a
fish is not very much less complex than is a human being.
Now, as to your question about transition, special creation does not
predict change of any form. Most Christians no longer hold this view and
allow for a tremendous amount of evolution. In fact, I would guess many of
the Christians of the last century would turn over in their graves if they
could see how much evolution even the YECs accept.
The existence of structurally intermediate features, occuring at temporally
intermediate strata, is only predicted by evolution. Even today's
anti-evolutionists who accept micro-evolution do not have a reason to
expect such stratigraphically intermediate forms.
glenn
Adam, Apes and Anthropology
Foundation, Fall and Flood
& lots of creation/evolution information
http://www.isource.net/~grmorton/dmd.htm