Classical phylogenies of the lower organisms are based on assumptions recently claimed to be erroneous. Alternative assumptions, more consistent with modern genetic and biochemical data, lead to the construction of new phylogenies. The new phylogenies (one for prokaryote organisms and one for eukaryotes) based on the symbiotic theory of the origin of eukaryotic organelles predict the nature and sequence of organic deposits on the Precambrian earth. Even if incorrect, these phylogenies present a modern framework upon which to compare the many recent reports of organic remains in sediment.