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E.K. Grebel (UWash/MPIA)
Dwarf galaxies are the most numerous type of galaxies in the Universe and are considered important building blocks of massive galaxies in hierarchical merger scenarios. Most of our knowledge about the detailed properties of dwarf galaxies comes from members in our Local Group, whose star formation and enrichment histories can be studied in great detail. While the Local Group dwarfs reveal an amazing diversity in their star formation histories, common global properties are beginning to emerge that may hold the key to understanding the evolution of these important low-mass objects.
I will attempt to review the current state of our knowledge about the evolutionary histories and properties of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group and Local Volume. The impact of dwarf galaxy mass and intrinsic properties will be contrasted with environmental effects, and evolutionary relationships between different morphological types will be discussed.
This work was supported through a Hubble Fellowship (NASA grant HF-01108.01-98A from the Space Telescope Science Institute) and through an Henri Chretien International Research grant administered by the American Astronomical Society.