Chemical evolution models of Local Group galaxies

Abstract

Status quo and perspectives of standard chemical evolution models of Local Group galaxies are summarized, discussing what we have learnt from them, what we know we have not learnt yet, and what I think we will learn in the near future. It is described how Galactic chemical evolution models have helped showing that: i) stringent constraints on primordial nucleosynthesis can be derived from the observed Galactic abundances of the light elements, ii) the Milky Way has been accreting external gas from early epochs to the present time, iii) the vast majority of Galactic halo stars have formed quite rapidly at early epochs. Chemical evolution models for the closest dwarf galaxies, although still uncertain so far, are expected to become extremely reliable in the nearest future, thanks to the quality of new generation photometric and spectroscopic data which are currently being acquired.