and pretty much seems to accord with creationist belief....assuming that when you say "new species" we are talking about the same kind of animal
Well, of course, the theory is precisely that it is not the same kind of animal. But that's fine, because as I say the question was not whether it is thought to be true, but whether it is an accurate statement of the theory of evolution.

Am I right, then, in thinking that it is an accurate statement of what you think the evolutionist's view is?

If so, we can get onto the next step rather faster than I thought. Because, as a matter of logic, the new species that the theory claims occur (even if you disagree with the theory, I can't see how you can disagree the theory claims it) will share characteristics of the ancestor that were not those giving rise to the different species.