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We present the results of a morphological study based on NIR images of 25galaxies, with different levels of nuclear activity, in 8 Compact Groups ofGalaxies (CGs). We perform independently two different analysis: a isophotalstudy and a study of morphological asymmetries. The results yielded by the twoanalysis are highly consistent. For the first time, it is possible to show thatdeviations from pure ellipses are produced by inhomogeneous stellar massdistributions related to galaxy interactions and mergers. We find evidence ofmass asymmetries in 74% of the galaxies in our sample. In 59% of these cases,the asymmetries come in pairs, and are consistent with tidal effects producedby the proximity of companion galaxies. The symmetric galaxies are generallysmall in size or mass, inactive, and have an early-type morphology. In 20% ofthe galaxies we find evidence for cannibalism. In 36% of the early-typegalaxies the color gradient is positive (blue nucleus) or flat. Summing upthese results, as much as 52% of the galaxies in our sample could show evidenceof an on going or past mergers. Our observations suggest that galaxies in CGsmerge more frequently under ``dry'' conditions. The high frequency ofinteracting and merging galaxies observed in our study is consistent with thebias of our sample towards CGs of type B, which represents the most activephase in the evolution of the groups. In these groups we also find a strongcorrelation between asymmetries and nuclear activity in early-type galaxies.This correlation allows us to identify tidal interactions and mergers as thecause of galaxy morphology transformation in CGs.[abridge]Comment: 64 pages, 35 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Evidence for Tidal Interactions and Mergers as the Origin of Galaxy Morphology Evolution in Compact Groups