The Local Group: Inventory and History
  My presentation was an overview of what we know about the Local Group of
galaxies, primarily from optical imaging and spectroscopy. AGB stars are on the
whole a very sparse and unrepresentative stellar population in most Local Group
galaxies. However, more detailed studies of star formation histories and
chemical evolution properties of populations, like Main Sequence dwarf stars
and Red Giant Branch stars, allow a better understanding of the evolutionary
context in which AGB stars can be observed. There are a variety of galaxy types
in the Local Group which range from predominantly metal poor (e.g., Leo A) to
metal-rich (e.g., M 32). Dwarf galaxies are the most numerous type of galaxy in
the Local Group, and provide the opportunity to study a relatively simple,
typically metal-poor, environment that is likely similar to the conditions in
the early history of all galaxies. Hopefully the range of star formation
histories, peak star formation rates and metallicities will provide enough
information to properly calibrate observations of AGB stars in more distant
systems, and indeed in integrated spectra. Here I will summarise what we know
about the star formation histories of nearby galaxies and their chemical
evolution histories and then attempt to make a connection to their AGB star
properties.
