Historical Overview of Late Cretaceous Mollluscan Paleontologists on the west coast

The history of collecting, studying, and naming of Late Cretaceous marine mollusks on the Pacific Coast of North America (PCNA) can be subdivided into three informal groups:

The Pioneers (1860’s to 1890’s):

Gabb, Whiteaves, White, and Cooper were the pioneers. Gabb was, however, the first collector on the PCNA, although Conrad studied PCNA specimens sent to him in Philadelphia. Conrad, who was very knowledgeable about Cretaceous faunas worldwide, never set foot in California.

The Second Wave (early 1900’s):

Among the many examples are Waring, Packard, and Anderson. “The Second Wave” workers explored many geographic areas not covered by the “Pioneers.” “The Second Wave” workers included some university professors, whose students commonly ended up working in the petroleum industry.

The Modern Era (late 1950's to present):

Popenoe (1897–1981), who was mainly affiliated with universities, was the “game changer.” He integrated detailed biostratigraphy into his studies and utilized the same stage names (e.g., Turonian, Campanian), which were used worldwide. He also revolutionized the whole concept of Late Cretaceous gastropod and bivalve studies by establishing lineages based on a good working knowledge of the systematics of many major families of mollusks. He also provided detailed locality information. Popenoe benefited from his association with Takeo Susuki, who collected many specimens and gave expert advice on the principles of photography and scientific illustration. 

                                       Willis Parkison Popenoe III ("Parky") (1879–1981)

Popenoe collaborated also with LouElla Saul. Their discoveries of many new taxa centered on their detailed knowledge of Late Cretaceous mollusks, as well as on their ability to thoroughly and carefully clean the apertures of gastropods and the hinges of bivalves. Without knowing these details, any systematic work borders on/or is largely guesswork.