Ages and Metallicities of Globular Clusters in NGC 4472

We have derived ages and metallicities from co-added spectra of 131 globular clusters (GCs) associated with the giant Virgo elliptical NGC 4472. ¿From their metal-line indices, we find that our sample of GCs span a metallicity range of approximately −1.6 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ 0 dex. The SSP models of Worthey (1994; W94) predict that the metal-poor population of GCs has an age of 14.5 ± 4 Gyr and that the metal-rich population is 13.8 ± 6 Gyr old, whilst the models of Kurth, Fritze-v. Alvensleben & Fricke (1999; KFF99) predict ages of 6.0 ± 2 and 8.0 ± 5 respectively. We conclude that, within the uncertainties, the GCs are old and coeval, and that the bimodality seen in the broadband colours primarily reflects metallicity and not age differences.