Evolution and Domination

Dominant Species: Marine Evolution action (tile scoring and evolution cards) and the Domination action that claims special pawns.

Evolution

Two steps: score one tile, then (perhaps) resolve an evolution card. Each of the five spaces shows a card-slot number (1–5) and a terrain marker.

Evolution scoring

Choose exactly one tile of the terrain on your space’s marker and score it:

1. Most species there: first value of the Tile Scoring table.
2. Not a Vent: second most species gets the second value. An animal alone can’t take first and second.
3. Land, Kelp, Reef or Seamount: third most gets the third value (it must be a third animal).
4. Land with a fourth animal present: that animal gets 1 VP.

Ties on the number of species go to the animal higher on the food chain (Reptiles, then Cephalopods, then Fishes). An animal with no species on the tile scores nothing there.

Tile scoring table

Tile	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
Land	8	4	2	1
Kelp Forest	7	4	2	—
Coral Reef	6	3	2	—
Seamount	5	3	2	—
Seagrass Meadow	4	2	—	—
Sand Plain	3	2	—	—
Open Ocean	2	1	—	—
Hydrothermal Vent	1	—	—	—

Evolution card play

After scoring, if you have at least one thriving species on that tile, you must pick a face-up card from a slot numbered at or below your space’s number (space 5 = any card, space 1 = only slot 1).

• Make every choice on the card and resolve all its effects in order; do what is possible and skip the rest.
• Put the card on the face-up discard pile. Slide the cards above the empty slot down one slot; deal a new card into slot 5 while the draw pile lasts.
• A newly dealt card showing or triggers that event at once; its “enters play” text also happens then.
• Taking the Asteroid ends the game at the end of the round (Endgame).

Domination

Choose one element type you currently dominate (Dominance), then:

1. Take control of its special pawn. If it is in front of a player or still on its setup space, put it in front of you, available. If it is on the action display, leave it there; you collect it when you next retrieve.
2. Take its control marker.
3. Move its target marker up the VP track to your domination value.

The middle space is open with 3 or more players, the right space only with 4.