n.
Pronunciation: sal- ' t ā -sh ə n, so ̇ l-
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin saltation-, saltatio, from saltare to leap, dance, frequentative of salire to leap ― more at SALLY
Date: 1646
1 a : the action or process of leaping or jumping b : DANCE
2 a : the origin of a new species or a higher taxon in essentially a single evolutionary step that in some especially former theories is held to be due to a major mutation or to unknown causes ― compare DARWINISM , NEO-DARWINISM , PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM b : MUTATION ― used especially of bacteria and fungi