  The temporal evolution of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and
absorption (EIA) coherence resonances in pump-probe spectroscopy of degenerate
two-level atomic transition is studied for light intensities below saturation.
Analytical expression for the transient absorption spectra are given for simple
model systems and a model for the calculation of the time dependent response of
realistic atomic transitions, where the Zeeman degeneracy is fully accounted
for, is presented. EIT and EIA resonances have a similar (opposite sign) time
dependent lineshape, however, the EIA evolution is slower and thus narrower
lines are observed for long interaction time. Qualitative agreement with the
theoretical predictions is obtained for the transient probe absorption on the
$^{85}Rb$ $D_{2}$ line in an atomic beam experiment.
