From First World War tank barges to the LST

How early did navies begin developing ships or craft able to land armored vehicles?

The familiar LST belongs to the Second World War, but First World War programs had already produced and developed barges and landing craft capable of carrying armored vehicles.

The answer distinguishes the mature landing ship from its earlier functional ancestors. First World War designers were already working on craft that could move armored vehicles to shore, even though the purpose-built LST appeared later. Amphibious capability therefore evolved through practical experiments before it acquired a standardized ship type.