The Volcanic Eruption That Almost Ended Humanity (The Toba Catastrophe)

74,000 years ago, a volcano in Sumatra exploded with a force 2,800 times greater than Mount St. Helens. It was the largest eruption on Earth in 2 million years — and the DNA of every human alive today suggests it may have pushed our species to the brink of extinction. This is the story of the Toba Catastrophe: what happened, what the science says, and why the latest research in 2025 and 2026 is changing everything we thought we knew about how close humanity came to disappearing. The short answer? Closer than you think. But also — not in the way scientists believed for the past 20 years. 🧬 The Hominid explores human evolution, ancient DNA, and the science stories you need to know. 🔔 Subscribe and hit the bell — don't miss what's coming next. — Topics covered: Toba catastrophe, Toba supervolcano, human extinction event, genetic bottleneck, volcanic winter, human evolution, prehistoric humans, Lake Toba Sumatra, ancient DNA, Homo sapiens survival #TobaCatastrophe #HumanEvolution #Supervolcano