  We present new estimates of ages and metallicities, based on FORS/VLT optical
(4400-5500A) spectroscopy, of 16 dwarf elliptical galaxies (dE's) in the Fornax
Cluster and in Southern Groups. These dE's are more metal-rich and younger than
previous estimates based on narrow-band photometry and low-resolution
spectroscopy. For our sample we find a mean metallicity [Z/H] = -0.33 dex and
mean age 3.5 Gyr, consistent with similar samples of dE's in other environments
(Local Group, Virgo). Three dE's in our sample show emission lines and very
young ages. This suggests that some dE's formed stars until a very recent epoch
and were self-enriched by a long star formation history. Previous observations
of large near-infrared (~8500A) Ca II absorption strengths in these dE's are in
good agreement with the new metallicity estimates, solving part of the
so-called Calcium puzzle.
