Immigrant Era Tiles have no climax numbers.
2.5 Map Tracks
Size Track. Each species uses an animal in this track to show its size. The sizes are abstracted from one (22 kg) to six (40 tons).
Roadrunner Tracks. Four tracks show levels of roadrunner DNA (2.3c): speedy (S), marine (M), nocturnal (N) and aggressive (A).
Cultures. Six areas indicate species tools and techniques, see 9.2.
Tarpit. This area stores dead plants and immigrants, see 16.1a.
Greenhouse Level. This scale tracks global climate, see 15.0.
Ammonite and sunflower. Removal of disks from these spots trigger episodes per 17.0.
2.6 Map8
The map shows North America as it was in the early Mesozoic Era.
Habitats. The map is divided into 26 habitats, each with a square slot and two triangles. Each slot contains a climax number on the same scale as those on biomes (2.4d). See diagram below:
Predator and Rooter Triangles. Each habitat contains an upper and lower triangle. The upper one is called the predator triangle, and the lower one is called the rooter triangle. Animals placed into the upper triangle are carnivores. They eat animals in the biome and rooter triangle called herbivores. Animals placed into the lower triangle are rooter herbivores that are eating nuts or roots (12.0b).
Mountain Ranges.9 There are two north-south mountain ranges marked in orange on the map. Each range has three slots, bordered in red. Mountain-building tiles called orogeny biomes (2.4e) will appear in these two ranges during the game. Both orogeny and non-orogeny tiles can occupy a mountain range slot, however.
Latitudes. Each row of habitats is called a latitude. These are labeled "arctic", "jet stream", "horse latitude",10 and "tropical" latitudes. Note there are two rows of tropics.
Empty Habitats. Habitats that don’t contain a biome are sea if the greenhouse level is very high (top two spots), and land otherwise (see 15.2). This is significant during migration (11.1).
2.7 Placeholders
Sixteen cards in the deck act as placeholders for the player’s species stacks. Each player gets four of his Color, each with a different silhouette (animal token shape).
2.8
Animals
Each player Color has 32 wooden animals. These are in four shapes, representing the four species that each player is allowed.11
3.0 SET-UP
3.1 Each player is randomly assigned a Color.
The player gets the 32 animals and the 4 placeholder cards of this color.
3.2 Receive Starting Genes.
The player with the least-teeth (2.2a) gets 3 genes (white disks simulating genetic variation). The remaining players get 4 genes each.
3.3 Start with 5 inheritance tiles.
Each player takes the five inheritance tiles (10.3c) marked with his Color.
Note: Your stacks and genes are open and can be freely examined.
Optional: The 16 roadrunner tiles (an example is shown) may optionally be used by any player to help keep track of his species’ roadrunner DNA, but they have no effect on gameplay.
3.4 Start the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Era pools.
Divide the era tiles into two face-down pools according to the color on their reverse side: blue (Mesozoic) and white (Cenozoic). Set aside the four homeland tiles (2.4f).
3.5 Place random biomes on the map.
Draw 22 Mesozoic Era Tiles at random and put each on the map as follows:
Non-orogeny Biomes. If a terrestrial or sea biome is drawn, put it into the latitude indicated by its latitude icon (2.4d). Choose the slot in this latitude having the lowest-climax per 3.5c. If this slot is occupied, replace it with the new biome. Put the old biome in the tarpit (16.1a).
Orogeny Biomes. An orogeny biome is always put into one of the six slots in a mountain range (2.6c). For the set-up only, choose the lowest-climax slot in the eastern (Hercynian) mountain range. Again, if this slot is occupied, replace it with the new biome.
Determining the Climax of a Slot. If a slot is empty, its climax is as printed on the map (2.6a). If a slot is occupied (by a previously-placed biome), the climax is as printed on the biome tile occupying the slot (2.4d).
Immigrants. Tiles with no listed climax are immigrants, see 2.4g. Each one drawn goes into the tarpit (16.1a) without being replaced.