Reconciling Mass Functions with the Star-Forming Main Sequence Via
  Mergers
  We combine star formation along the `main sequence', quiescence, and
clustering and merging to produce an empirical model for the evolution of
individual galaxies. Main sequence star formation alone would significantly
steepen the stellar mass function towards low redshift, in sharp conflict with
observation. However, a combination of star formation and merging produces a
consistent result for correct choice of the merger rate function. As a result,
we are motivated to propose a model in which hierarchical merging is
disconnected from environmentally-independent star formation. This model can be
tested via correlation functions and would produce new constraints on
clustering and merging.
