qqman
The Manhattan-plot package for GWAS results, finished and dormant since 2017.
Comparison · Analytics
fossilsim vs r4ss
A side-by-side editorial comparison of fossilsim and r4ss — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:r-package
fossilsim vs r4ss: at a glance
What is fossilsim?
A fossil-record simulator that quietly grew a trait-evolution engine.
FossilSim is a mature R package for simulating fossil records on phylogenetic trees, and its release cadence reflects that: long gaps punctuated by a single capability addition. The last four releases span three years, with the most recent being a compatibility sync to its companion Shiny front-end rather than new functionality. The core simulation surface has been stable since 2022.
What is r4ss?
NOAA's Stock Synthesis toolkit renamed its columns and shook the packages built on it.
r4ss reads, writes, runs and plots Stock Synthesis fisheries models, and is the base layer for a set of NOAA assessment packages. The current release tracks SS3 3.30.23.1 with plot and reader fixes. The consequential recent change was structural: the SS_read* functions standardised their column names, which broke downstream packages and forced at least one to pin an older version.
fossilsim vs r4ss: editorial side-by-side
fossilsim
0.0ANALYTICS
A fossil-record simulator that quietly grew a trait-evolution engine.
◆ Current state
FossilSim is a mature R package for simulating fossil records on phylogenetic trees, and its release cadence reflects that: long gaps punctuated by a single capability addition. The last four releases span three years, with the most recent being a compatibility sync to its companion Shiny front-end rather than new functionality. The core simulation surface has been stable since 2022.
◆ Where it's heading
The arc runs from sampling mechanics toward simulating what the organisms actually were. Version 2.2.0 taught the package to handle occurrence data for occurrence birth-death models; 2.3.0 then added trait simulation under Mk, BM and OU, which is a different kind of output than fossil ages. Since then the work has been maintenance and keeping the FossilSimShiny GUI in step, suggesting the authors consider the current model set feature-complete.
◆ Prediction
The pairing of the 2.3.3 release with a FossilSimShiny version bump points to the GUI, not the library, as where the next visible work lands. The entries do not show enough activity to predict a specific new model family.
r4ss
0.0ANALYTICS
NOAA's Stock Synthesis toolkit renamed its columns and shook the packages built on it.
◆ Current state
r4ss reads, writes, runs and plots Stock Synthesis fisheries models, and is the base layer for a set of NOAA assessment packages. The current release tracks SS3 3.30.23.1 with plot and reader fixes. The consequential recent change was structural: the SS_read* functions standardised their column names, which broke downstream packages and forced at least one to pin an older version.
◆ Where it's heading
The project explicitly de-emphasises releases — the notes tell users to install the latest development version and treat tags as anchors for dependent packages. That has produced a rhythm of long quiet stretches punctuated by a breaking cleanup: the run-function revamp in 1.46.1, then the column renaming in 1.50.0. Ordinary releases in between are SS3 version tracking.
◆ Prediction
Expect the next tagged release to follow the next SS3 version rather than a fixed schedule, with continued incremental plotting and reader fixes.
Alternatives to fossilsim and r4ss
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either fossilsim or r4ss.
constants
The R package for CODATA constants rebuilt its symbol table on NIST's naming so future updates stop being hand work.
austraits
The R client for AusTraits spends its releases chasing the dataset it reads.
ggdemetra
A ggplot2 layer for seasonal adjustment output, filling in one plot type at a time.
tern.rbmi
Reference-based multiple imputation tables, shipping only what CRAN checks demand.
tern.mmrm
An MMRM tabulation package that has published nothing since its 2024 CRAN releases.
See all fossilsim alternatives → · See all r4ss alternatives →
Recent activity from fossilsim and r4ss
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1y agor4ssTracks SS3 3.30.23.1 with reader and plotting fixes
- 2y agor4ssSS_read* column names standardised in a breaking cleanup ⚡
- 2y agofossilsimCompatibility bump for FossilSimShiny 1.1.2
- 4y agor4ssModel-running functions renamed and standardised
- 4y agofossilsimBug fixes and documentation cleanup
- 4y agor4ssCRAN release matching SS3 3.30.19.01
- 4y agofossilsimTrait simulation arrives: Mk, BM and OU models ⚡
- 5y agor4ssCompatibility release for SS3 3.30.17.00
- 5y agofossilsimOccurrence handling for the occurrence birth-death model
- 6y agor4ssCompatibility release for SS3 3.30.15.00
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fossilsim and r4ss?
Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Analytics. fossilsim and r4ss are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is fossilsim better than r4ss?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. fossilsim and r4ss are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to fossilsim?
Top fossilsim alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "fossilsim alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/fossilsim-r for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to r4ss?
Top r4ss alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "r4ss alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/r4ss for the full list with editorial commentary on each.