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K-band galaxy number counts (GNCs) exhibit a slope change at K~17.5 mag notpresent in optical bands. To unveil the nature of this feature, we have derivedthe contribution of different galaxy types to the total K-band GNCs at0.3<z<1.5 by redshift bins and compared the results with expectations fromseveral galaxy evolutionary models. We show that the slope change is caused bya sudden swap of the galaxy population that numerically dominates the totalGNCs (from quiescent E-S0's at K<17.5 mag to blue star-forming discs at faintermagnitudes), and that it is associated with a flattening of the contribution ofthe E-S0's at 0.6<z<1 to the total GNCs. We confirm previous studies showingthat models in which the bulk of massive E-S0's have evolved passively sincez>2 cannot predict the slope change, whereas those imposing a relatively lateassembly on them (z<1.5) can reproduce it. The K-band GNCs by redshift bins andmorphological types point to a progressively definitive build-up of ~50% ofthis galaxy population at 0.8<z<1.5, which can be explained only through themajor mergers reported by observations. We conclude that the slope change intotal K-band GNCs is a vestige of the definitive assembly of a substantialfraction of present-day massive E-S0's at 0.8<z<1.5.

The trace of a substantial assembly of massive E-S0 galaxies at 0.8