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Colorful "eyespots" on the wings of some butterfly species is adding details to the story of evolution by addressing fundamental question similar to the ones like : "which came first, the chicken or the egg?" 

Aristotle, after consideration, decided that both the egg and the chicken had always existed. However that was not the right answer.

A new study is attempting to explain the existence of what scientists call "serial homologues" - patterns in nature that are repetitive - , serve a function and are so important that they are often retained through millions of years. 

Some examples of serial homologues include repeated vertebra that form a spinal column, rows of teeth, and groups of eyespots on butterfly wings. 

According to the study, the eyespots common to the butterfly family Nymphalidae, now serve many butterflies in dual roles of both predator avoidance and mate identification. The press release added one theory of their origin is that they evolved from simpler, single spots; another theory is that they evolved from a "band" of color which later separated into spots.

"What we basically conclude is that neither of the existing theories about butterfly eyespots is correct," said Jeffrey Oliver, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Integrative Biology of the OSU College of Science, in the press release. "The evidence suggests that a few eyespots evolved as a group at about the same time, but behaved somewhat as individual entities."

"At first, it appears the eyespots helped this group of butterflies with one of the most basic aspects of survival value, which is avoiding predators," Oliver said.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.