The major types of Precambrian colonial microfossils are characterized, Rel
ation between the kind of cell division and the cell interactions in colony
and shape of colony is considered. The ancient Archean benthonic colonies
were formed as a result of monotomic division in two fission planes. The an
cient known ball-like (possibly planktonic) colonies were formed as result
of palintomic division in three of several fission planes. Bottom-dwelling
palmella-like colonies had appeared at the beginning of the Early Proterozo
ic and planktonic ones were known since the Riphean only. Riphean and Vendi
an planktonic ball-like and spherical colonies are described.