The nature of the starburst phenomenon in galaxies is investigated using a narrow band color system designed to study color evolution in distant clusters. Work on zero redshift, luminous far-IR galaxies, calibrated by starburst models, demonstrates the usefulness of this color system in isolating starburst from normal star-forming colors, and also demonstrates a strong correlation with far-IR colors despite reddening effects. The same color system applied to distant clusters finds that a majority of the faint blue cluster population are starburst dwarf galaxies, probably the progenitor of the current population of dwarf ellipticals in nearby clusters.

7 pages including 4 figures, PASP LaTeX. Conference Proceedings of The Evolution of Galaxies on Cosmological Timescales, Puerto de la Cruz, Nov 30th. Data avaliable at http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~js