  In this paper we present a statistical study of the environments of 49
galaxies in which there is gas- or stellar- counterrotation. The number of
possible companions in the field (to apparent magnitude 22), their size and
concentration were considered. All the statistical parameters were analysed by
means of Kolgomorov-Smirnov tests, using a control sample of 43 galaxies
without counterrotation. From our data, no significant differences between the
counter-rotating and control samples appear. This is different to Seyfert or
radio-loud galaxies which lie in environments with a higher density of
companions. On the contrary, if a weak tendency exists, for galaxies with gas
counterrotation only, it is discovered in regions of space where the large
scale density of galaxies is smaller. Our results tend to disprove the
hypothesis that counterrotation and polar rings derive from a recent
interaction with a small satellite or a galaxy of similar size. To a first
approximation, they seem to follow the idea that all galaxies are born through
a merger process of smaller objects occurring very early in their life, or that
they derive from a continuous, non-traumatic infall of gas that formed stars
later. Whatever the special machinery is which produces counterrotation or
polar rings instead of a co-planar, co-rotating distribution of gas and stars,
it seems not to be connected to the present galaxy density of their
environments.
