Saltationism
[sal-tey-shuh-niz-uh m] /sælˈteɪ ʃəˌnɪz əm/
noun, Biology.
1.
any of several theories holding that the evolution of species proceeds in major steps by the abrupt transformation of an ancestral species into a descendant species of a different type, rather than by the gradual accumulation of small changes.
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- Saltato
adjective 1. (of a performance with a stringed instrument) playing each note staccato by bouncing the bow on the strings. adverb 2. in a saltando manner.
- Saltatorial
adjective 1. pertaining to saltation. 2. Zoology. characterized by or adapted for leaping. adjective 1. (biology) specialized for or characterized by jumping: the saltatorial legs of a grasshopper 2. of or relating to saltation
- Saltatory
adjective 1. pertaining to or adapted for saltation. 2. proceeding by abrupt movements. saltatory sal·ta·to·ry (sāl’tə-tôr’ē, sôl’-) adj. Of, relating to, or adapted for leaping or dancing. Proceeding by leaps rather than by smooth, gradual transitions.
- Saltatory conduction
saltatory conduction n. A form of nerve impulse conduction in which the impulse jumps from one Ranvier’s node to the next, rather than traveling the entire length of the nerve fiber.
- Saltatory evolution
saltatory evolution n. The theory that the evolution of a new species from an older one may occur as a large jump, such as a major repatterning of chromosomes, rather than by gradual accumulation of small steps or mutations.