Title: Satellites of satellites: globular cluster systems as tracers of environmental effects on Virgo early-type 
dwarfs

Abstract:
Early-type dwarfs (dEs) are by far the most abundant galaxy population in nearby clusters. Whether these 
objects are primordial, or recent end-products of the different physical mechanisms that can transform 
galaxies once they enter these high-density environments, is still a matter of debate. Here we present a 
novel approach to test the latter scenario by comparing the properties of the globular cluster systems 
(GCSs) of Virgo dEs and their potential progenitors with simple predictions from gravitational and 
hydrodynamical interaction models. Current data in the literature do not favour violent mechanisms, but 
gentle processes with long timescales or that took place at the early stages of galaxy formation. 
Furthermore, we show that GCSs can be used to estimate dwarfs total masses and thus constrain their 
dark matter content.