The ultimate goal in galaxy studies is having a complete picture of galaxy formation and evolution across the history of the universe. In the local universe one population of galaxies encodes the richest information of the evolution of structures in the universe, the giant massive elliptical galaxies. Understanding their origins and evolutionary sequence lead to the comprehension of the whole history of structures in the universe from its birth. In my thesis, I studied galaxies characterized for their vigorous star formation aiming at unveiling their roles as progenitors of massive galaxies and providing insight in the physical processes shaping galaxy formation and evolution.