In the following passage, some words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the given alternatives.

The hypothesis is that the ‘volcanic winter’ caused a 1 _______ (blockage) in the gene pool of humans, because only a few survived who were in Africa at the time. Later, this population is believed to have 2 _______ (come out) from Africa and colonized different parts of the world. However, the present study rules out this hypothesis as it 3 _______  (suggests) that a population of early humans 4 _______ (occupied) Northern India even before the date of the eruption (74,000 years ago) and continued through the period of the 5 _______ (great destruction) and until much later.