Stellar masses versus redshift for the K_AB < 24 selected sample. The top and bottom panels correspond to the full sample and the quiescent population, respectively. Black points correspond to the measured stellar masses. The brown points correspond to ℳ_limit which is the lowest mass which could be observed for a given galaxy for a limit at K_AB = 24. The blue circles correspond to the completeness limit chosen in this study. The red and green curves correspond to the two extreme templates with τ = 0.1 Gyr and τ = 30 Gyr, respectively. We show 3 ages which are 0.9, 2 and 5 Gyr (from the bottom to the top, respectively). The dashed lines correspond to an extinction of E(B − V) = 0.2. If the lines are not drawn, it means that either the age is older than the age of the Universe or that the condition age/τ > 4 implies a small extinction. We indicate at the top of each panel the percentage of galaxies detected at 3.6 μm (top line) and in at least four bands (detection thresholds at >2σ and >5σ for the middle and bottom lines, respectively).