6.2 Catastrophe event.
A catastrophic event kills off overspecialized animals, then shifts the greenhouse up or down per 15.1. The first catastrophe splits the continent; the second advances the game into the Cenozoic Era.
Catastrophe Level. A catastrophe level, from 4 to 7 as printed on each catastrophe, describes the amount of DNA in a species’ genome (2.3d) that will drive it extinct. Count the number of DNA letters in a species’ genome, including the dietary DNA listed on its cards and tiles, and the roadrunner DNA listed on its roadrunner tracks. If the number of letters is greater than or equal to that specified by the catastrophe level, that species becomes extinct (16.0).
Note: Catastrophe level extinctions impact both immigrants and player stacks.
Example: An asteroid hits the Earth. The card states “Extinct if ≥ 5 DNA.” (The notation “≥” means “greater than or equal to”.) An animal with BGGAN would be killed, because it has five DNA. An animal with PPAM is spared.
Episode Trigger. The first and second Catastrophe event of the game triggers an episode (17.0), after all other catastrophe effects are resolved.
6.3 Milankovich event.17
Earth goes through periodic oscillations in its orbit that change its climate. Each Milankovich event specifies one or two latitudes, and the lowest-climax biome in each latitude specified goes extinct (16.1).
Example: A Milankovich P event alters the arctic and horse latitudes. The lowest-climax in the arctic are gingkoes, and in the horse latitudes are horsetails. These go to the tarpit. Any herbivores eating these biomes, plus any carnivores eating the herbivores, are culled.
6.4 Erosion event.18
This lowers the greenhouse as well as mountains, but shuts down during an ice age. If the greenhouse level is 800 ppm or more, lower it one step per 15.1, and remove as extinct the highest-climax orogeny biome.
7.0 Play a card
The two kinds of cards in the playing deck are Mutation and Genotype.
7.1 Playing a Mutation Card.
Mutate a living species by playing the mutation card you just purchased into its stack. This gives it the DNA attributes and instinct icons encoded in the upper right corner of the card.
Example: The card shown has BA DNA.
Important: Inheritance tiles cannot be used for mutating.
7.2 Mutation Size Limits.
You may only mutate a species that has a size within the size-range listed on the card used to mutate.
Example: A species at size 5 is not allowed to get feathers,19 which have a 1-4 size-range.
7.3 Adding Roadrunner dna.
If you mutate using a card with roadrunner DNA, your new roadrunner genome is reflected by adjusting the appropriate roadrunner tracks (2.5b), Your marker remains at three even if you have more of that roadrunner type.
New Roadrunner Animal. If the card used to mutate contains roadrunner DNA that you do not yet have, add an animal to that roadrunner track (S, M, N, and/or A) to reflect the amount of roadrunner acquired. This animal is called a roadrunner animal. If you are out of animals, you must discard the card instead of mutating with it.
Note: Each species can have only one animal in each roadrunner track.
Wings. To move the roadrunner animal from SS to SSS, the species must be size 1, allowing flight (11.0a). Even if you have more than two S’s in your stack, your roadrunner animal remains at SS until you meet the size requirement.
Subterranean Colony. If you have three or more N DNA, and you are size 1, then you become a subterranean colony with the social skills instinct (9.1c).
Example: Your species, starting with an NN roadrunner animal, is mutated using an IN echolocation card. Assuming you are size 1, move your NN animal to the NNN position. You are now a subterranean colonial animal.
Whale pods. A species at MMM automatically has the language instinct (9.1d).
Fire-Bearing. A species at AAA automatically has the natural history instinct (9.1b). It may also prevent its homeland from being inverted at 200 ppm (15.1d).
Amphibian. If a species with one M DNA (11.1c) gains more, it becomes a sea animal and all its animals in land habitats will die. If instead it loses its M, all its animals in sea habitats will die.