What is "saltation"

Saltation \Sal*ta"tion\, n. [L. saltatio: cf. F. saltation.]

1. A leaping or jumping.

   Continued his saltation without pause.
   --Sir W. Scott.

2. Beating or palpitation; as, the saltation of the great artery.

3. (Biol.) An abrupt and marked variation in the condition or appearance of a species; a sudden modification which may give rise to new races.

   We greatly suspect that nature does make considerable jumps in the way of variation now and then, and that these saltations give rise to some of the gaps which appear to exist in the series of known forms.
   --Huxley.

"a leap, a bound," 1620s, from Latin saltationem (nominative saltatio) "a dancing; dance," noun of action from past participle stem of saltare "to hop, dance," frequentative of salire "to leap" (see salient (adj.)).

n. 1 A leap, jump or dance. 2 beating or palpitation. 3 (context biology English) A sudden change from one generation to the next; a mutation. 4 Any abrupt transition. 5 (context geology fluid mechanics English) The transport of loose particles by a fluid (such as wind or flowing water).

1. n. (geology) the leaping movement of sand or soil particles as they are transported in a fluid medium over an uneven surface

2. a mutation that drastically changes the phenotype of an organism or species

3. an abrupt transition; "a successful leap from college to the major leagues" [syn: leap, jump]

4. taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music [syn: dancing, dance, terpsichore]

5. a light springing movement upwards or forwards [syn: leap, leaping, spring, bound, bounce]

Saltation may refer to:

• Saltation (biology), an evolutionary hypothesis emphasizing sudden and drastic change
• Saltation (geology), a process of particle transport by fluids
• Sensory saltation (psychology), a perceptual illusion evoked by a rapid sequence of sensory stimuli.
• Saltation (Software Engineering), the antithesis of Continuous Integration
• Saltation (novel), a novel set in Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liaden universe

In biology, saltation (from Latin, saltus, "leap") is a sudden change from one generation to the next, that is large, or very large, in comparison with the usual variation of an organism. The term is used for nongradual changes (especially single-step speciation) that are atypical of, or violate, gradualism—involved in modern evolutionary theory. An example would be the origin of the feather.

In geology, saltation (from Latin saltus, "leap") is a specific type of particle transport by fluids such as wind or water. It occurs when loose material is removed from a bed and carried by the fluid, before being transported back to the surface. Examples include pebble transport by rivers, sand drift over desert surfaces, soil blowing over fields, and snow drift over smooth surfaces such as those in the Arctic or Canadian Prairies.