Reactions to On the Origin of Species man to be envious of a naturalist like myself, immeasurably his inferior!" Darwin's had estimated that erosion of the Weald would take 300 million years, but in the second edition of "On the Origin of Species" published on 7 January 1860 he accepted that it would be safer to allow 150 million to 200 million years. Geologists knew the earth was ancient, but had felt unable to put realistic figures on the duration of past geological changes. Darwin's book provided a new impetus to quantifying geological time. His most prominent critic, John Phillips, had investigated how temperatures increased with depth
Reactions to On the Origin of Species & Natural (as far as Final Causes & Design are concerned) on the other. The range & mass of knowledge take away one's breath." To Fanny Wedgwood she wrote, "I rather regret that C.D. went out of his way two or three times to speak of "The Creator" in the popular sense of the First Cause... His subject is the 'Origin of Species' & not the origin of Organisation; & it seems a needless mischief to have opened the latter speculation at all – There now! I have delivered my mind." The Revd. Adam Sedgwick had received his copy "with