Merger rate of galaxies versus redshift. Dots are the major merger rate (μ ≥ 1/4), squares are the minor merger rate (1/10 ≤ μ < 1/4), and triangles are the total (major + minor, μ ≥ 1/10) merger rate. The points are shifted when necessary to avoid overlap. The z error bars in the total merger rate mark the redshift range spanned by VVDS-Deep data. The inverted triangle is the major merger rate of galaxies from MGC at z = 0.09. The white rectangle identifies the local (z = 0.09) minor merger fraction estimated from the total and the major merger ones, while the gray area marks the most probable minor merger rate values in the range 0 < z < 1 (see text for details). The solid line is the best fit of a power-law function with a fixed index, f_mm ∝ (1 + z)^-0.5, to the minor merger rate data. The dashed line is the least-squares fit of a power-law function to the major merger rate data. The dotted line represents a constant major + minor merger rate. (A colour version of this plot is available in electronic form.)