[sal.ta.tion] n [L saltation-, saltatio, fr. saltare to leap, dance, freq. of salire to leap--more at sally] (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 esp. former theories is held to be due to a major mutation or to unknown causes--compare darwinism, neo-darwinism, punctuated equilibrium b: mutation--used esp. of bacteria and fungi