Final answer:
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's theory of evolution included the idea that new organs in a species arise as a result of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, which means that traits or changes acquired during an organism's life could be passed on to its descendants. Recent findings in epigenetics have shown some parallels to this idea, yet Lamarck's theory is not the main concept in modern evolutionary biology. The correct option in the student's question is c. Inheritance of acquired characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
An important part of Lamarck's theory of evolution is that new organs in a species appear as a result of the inheritance of acquired characteristics. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, the French naturalist, proposed that changes acquired by an organism during its life, such as increases in an organ's size due to use or disuse, could be passed on to its offspring. This is distinctly different from the concepts of random mutations, natural selection, and genetic drift, which are mechanisms described by other evolutionary theories.
Lamarck's ideas suggested that a giraffe's neck, for example, became longer over generations because their ancestors stretched their necks to reach leaves in tall trees, and this trait was inherited by subsequent generations. Although Lamarck's theory was largely rendered obsolete by Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, recent research in the field of epigenetics shows that there is a form of inheritance that can involve changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. This current understanding reflects some parallels to Lamarck's idea of acquired traits being inherited, showing that while not correct in the original context, Lamarck's ideas still hold significance in the evolution of scientific thought.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is c. Inheritance of acquired characteristics.