Abstract
We consider 400 H II galaxies in which the oxygen abundances were obtained by electron temperature based methods. We split the sample in three metallicity bins. In each bin, a narrow sequence is found not only in pure emission line ratio diagrams but also in terms of H beta equivalent width, indicating the existence of an evolutionary sequence. Our diagrams show unambiguously the existence of an evolution on a timescale of a few Myr. We compare the observed sequences with photoionization models of appropriate metallicity. In order to understand the evolution of H II galaxies one needs to consider the evolution of the gas as well as that of the stars. The observations require EW(H beta ) to decrease more rapidly than predicted by the passive evolution of a starburst. A photoionized adiabatic expanding bubble with a covering factor decreasing with time reproduces most diagrams. However, the question of the heating of H II galaxies and the origin of the nebular He II lambda 4686 emission are not settled. We find evidence for self-enrichment in nitrogen on a time scale of several Myr.
