  A long-standing observed curiosity of globular clusters (GCs) has been that
both the number and total mass of GCs in a galaxy are linearly correlated with
the galaxy's virial mass, whereas its stellar component shows no such linear
correlation. This work expands on an empirical model for the numbers and ages
of GCs in galaxies presented by Valenzuela et al. (2021) that is consistent
with recent observational data from massive elliptical galaxies down to the
dwarf galaxy regime. Applying the model to simulations, GC numbers are shown to
be excellent tracers for the dark matter (DM) virial mass, even when distinct
formation mechanisms are employed for blue and red GCs. Furthermore, the amount
of DM smooth accretion is encoded in the GC abundances, therefore providing a
measure for an otherwise nearly untraceable component of the formation history
of galaxies.
