I review the properties of starburst galaxies in the nearby and distant universe to decipher their evolution as a distinct extragalactic class. The physical processes and environments of massive star-formation appear to be similar out to z = 4, although the modes of triggering are likely quite different, varied, and still evolving. This is argued with the use of a structural system that measures the physical conditions of galaxies. This system provides evidence that starbursts at high-z are triggered by merging, while nearby starbursts have a host of different triggering mechanisms, none of which, besides merging, are currently known to exist at z > 2.

8 pages, 4 figures, to be published in proceedings of the MPIA workshop, "Modes of Star Formation and the Origin of Field Star Populations", ed. E. Grebel and W. Brandner