Final answer:
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's theory of macroevolution, which proposed that species change over time through the inheritance of acquired characteristics, is an early idea of evolutionary change that contributed to the development of evolutionary science.
Step-by-step explanation:
An example of an early idea surrounding evolutionary change is Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's theory of macroevolution, which posited that species could transform into other species over time through the inheritance of acquired characteristics. Although we now know this concept is incorrect, it was an essential stepping stone in the development of evolutionary thought. Before Lamarck and Darwin, many believed in the static nature of species as postulated by Plato. The acceptance and integration of the idea that species evolve over time was a significant paradigm shift led by the evidence and reasoning provided by Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.