  We present mass models of a sample of 19 low surface brightness (LSB)
galaxies and compare the properties of their constituent mass components with
those of a sample of high surface brightness (HSB) galaxies.We find that LSB
galaxies are dark matter dominated. Their halo parameters are only slightly
affected by assumptions on stellar mass-to-light ratios. Comparing LSB and HSB
galaxies we find that mass models derived using the maximum disk hypothesis
result in the disks of LSB galaxies having systematically higher stellar
mass-to-light ratios than HSB galaxies of similar rotation velocity. This is
inconsistent with all other available evidence on the evolution of LSB
galaxies. We argue therefore that the maximum disk hypothesis does not provide
a representative description of the LSB galaxies and their evolution. Mass
models with stellar mass-to-light ratios determined by the colors and stellar
velocity dispersions of galactic disks imply that LSB galaxies have dark matter
halos that are more extended and less dense than those of HSB galaxies. Surface
brightness is thus related to the halo properties. LSB galaxies are slowly
evolving, low density and dark matter dominated galaxies.
