<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Journal of Human Evolution
The super-eruption of Toba, did it cause a human bottleneck?
F. J. Gathorne-Hardy et al.
In summary, we have not been able to find any evidence to support the hypothesis that the Toba super-eruption of 73.5 Ka caused a bottleneck in the human population. The direct effects of the eruption were fairly localised, and at the time probably had a negligible effect on any human population in Asia, let alone Africa. Genetic evidence indicates that the Pleistocene human population bottleneck was not hour-glass shaped, but rather an up-side down bottle with a long neck. Modern humans at that time were adaptable, mobile, and technologically well-equipped, and it is likely that they could have dealt with the short-term environmental effects of the Toba event. Finally, we have found no evidence for associated animal decline or extinction, even in environmentally-sensitive species. <b>We conclude that it is unlikely that the Toba super-eruption caused a human, animal or plant population bottleneck. </b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Nonetheless, Toba does explain the sharp genetic fault line between Bengal and Burma. Oppenheimer notes that most of the Mongoloid elements in India are Sunda refugia, as well as more distant refugia from Tibet, and are all speaking east asian languages. This fact firmly anchors Indic with Indic racial types (indeed with bengalis) at the earliest time depths.
The super-eruption of Toba, did it cause a human bottleneck?
F. J. Gathorne-Hardy et al.
In summary, we have not been able to find any evidence to support the hypothesis that the Toba super-eruption of 73.5 Ka caused a bottleneck in the human population. The direct effects of the eruption were fairly localised, and at the time probably had a negligible effect on any human population in Asia, let alone Africa. Genetic evidence indicates that the Pleistocene human population bottleneck was not hour-glass shaped, but rather an up-side down bottle with a long neck. Modern humans at that time were adaptable, mobile, and technologically well-equipped, and it is likely that they could have dealt with the short-term environmental effects of the Toba event. Finally, we have found no evidence for associated animal decline or extinction, even in environmentally-sensitive species. <b>We conclude that it is unlikely that the Toba super-eruption caused a human, animal or plant population bottleneck. </b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Nonetheless, Toba does explain the sharp genetic fault line between Bengal and Burma. Oppenheimer notes that most of the Mongoloid elements in India are Sunda refugia, as well as more distant refugia from Tibet, and are all speaking east asian languages. This fact firmly anchors Indic with Indic racial types (indeed with bengalis) at the earliest time depths.