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C.L. Taylor (FCRAO), W. Walsh (MPI-Bonn), T. Fritz, S. Huettemeister (Univ. Bonn)
We will present large scale maps of the CO distribution in IC10 in several transitions, including CO (1-0), CO (2-1) and CO (3-2). IC10 is one of the few dwarf irregular galaxies with strong CO lines, and its short distance (0.8 Mpc) means that high spatial resolution observations are possible with single dish telescopes. Dwarf irregular galaxies such as IC10 have low metallicities compared to typical spirals and ellipticals. Because of this, they make possible the study of the ISM under low metallicity conditions, conditions that must have been common at high redshifts, during the early generations of star formation in normal galaxies. This link to the early universe will become increasingly important as new telescopes continue to open up the high redshift regime to increased scrutiny. IC10 will become a Rosetta stone for interpreting future high redshift observations.