The idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics was given by:

Explanation

The correct answer is Lamarck. He introduced the concept that traits acquired in an organism's lifetime could be inherited by its descendants, forming a crucial part of his evolutionary theory. In contrast, Darwin's theory of evolution is based on natural selection, focusing on variation and survival of the fittest, without involving the inheritance of acquired traits. Aristotle did not believe in evolution through acquired characteristics, maintaining that species were immutable. Lyell's contributions lie in geology, specifically in understanding Earth's processes, without addressing biological evolution.