Why was Lyell's ideas important for evolutionary theory?

Lyell's ideas on uniformitarianism, which suggested that geological processes occur at a slow and steady pace over time, provided a framework for understanding Earth's history. This concept of gradual change over long periods of time influenced Charles Darwin's thinking, as it allowed for the possibility of slow, incremental changes leading to the diversity of life observed on Earth. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was therefore supported by Lyell's principles of uniformitarianism.