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Humans almost became extinct about 72,000 years ago when the total population dropped below 2,000.This was due to the eruption of Mount Toba, a super volcano located on Sumatra, in 70,000 BC. It remains the largest volcanic eruption in known history. It expelled 670 cubic miles of ash and lava into the sky, and may have triggered an ice age. Estimates vary on how badly the human race was diminished by this event, with some placing the number at 1,000 survivors or even as few as 40 breeding pairs.