What was the impact of the Toba volcanic eruption on early Homo sapiens? A. Homo sapiens began worshipping the sun and the sky after the eruption. B. Homo sapiens began eating larger animals, such as hippos, after the eruption. C. The climate increased the survival of Homo sapiens. D. The volcanic gases purified the air, and Homo sapiens became healthier. E. The planet grew much colder, and the population of Homo sapiens shrank.

The correct answer is the E. The ashes released by this explosion acted as an obstacle to the passage of the sun's rays and this caused a drop in temperature resulting in a "volcanic winter". After the explosion of the Toba volcanic the average temperature dropped to about 3 to 3.5 °C, which represents a drastic change for the populations and lasted about six to seven years. This volcanic winter not only affected the local population, but it was a fact with global consequences. This caused the extinction and the diminution of the population to great scales in several Homo species that existed.