How does evolution explain the gaps?

SLP: Whose DNA is more similar to a whales - a hippo's or a shark's?Answer that question and you will have a substantive answer (thank you RR and/or PP)FK: It was definitely RR. I have that argument archived. He also asked whether a bird's DNA should be closer to a bat or a snake. If I am a Creationist arguing common designer, I have to say "a bat". If I am an evolutionist, I have to say "a snake".FK

The implicit assumption of course is that the fossil evidence already indicates that reptiles and mammals share a more recent common ancestor than reptiles and birds. I have yet to see a Creationist come up with any kind of rational explanation for why bat DNA would more closely resemble snake DNA than bird DNA.FK

Actually I really didn't make myself clear in the original post. What I really mean, is that evolutionists would predict that birds and snakes share more similar DNA. I don't mean to imply that they would assume this a priori. But based on the fossil evidence, birds and snakes should share more similar DNA. Based on the commmon designer argument, birds and bats should share more similar DNA.FK