← Back to home
Comparison · Analytics

fossilsim vs tern.rbmi

A side-by-side editorial comparison of fossilsim and tern.rbmi — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

fossilsim vs tern.rbmi: at a glance

Featurefossilsimtern.rbmi
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesphylogenetics, simulation, trait-evolution, birth-death-modelspharmaverse, multiple-imputation, cran-maintenance, tabulation
Last editorial update53m ago1h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

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.

Read the full fossilsim trajectory →

What is tern.rbmi?

Reference-based multiple imputation tables, shipping only what CRAN checks demand.

tern.rbmi renders the output of {rbmi} reference-based multiple imputation analyses into tern tables for clinical reporting. Its three most recent releases exist to satisfy CRAN: restricting vignette builds to gcc, adding V8 to Suggests, and a plain resubmission. No user-facing functionality has changed in the visible window, and the three older entries now backfilled are version-bump automation.

Read the full tern.rbmi trajectory →

fossilsim vs tern.rbmi: editorial side-by-side

F
fossilsim
ANALYTICS
0.0

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.

T
tern.rbmi
ANALYTICS
0.0

Reference-based multiple imputation tables, shipping only what CRAN checks demand.

◆ Current state

tern.rbmi renders the output of {rbmi} reference-based multiple imputation analyses into tern tables for clinical reporting. Its three most recent releases exist to satisfy CRAN: restricting vignette builds to gcc, adding V8 to Suggests, and a plain resubmission. No user-facing functionality has changed in the visible window, and the three older entries now backfilled are version-bump automation.

◆ Where it's heading

This is a thin adapter package and behaves like one — it moves when CRAN or an upstream dependency forces it to. Between 2022 and 2024 the feed shows only version bumps, and the 2025 releases are packaging concerns rather than analysis changes. The newly surfaced 2022 entries reinforce rather than change that reading.

◆ Prediction

Expect the next release to be triggered by a CRAN check failure or an {rbmi} update rather than by new tabulation features.

Alternatives to fossilsim and tern.rbmi

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 tern.rbmi.

See all fossilsim alternatives → · See all tern.rbmi alternatives →

Recent activity from fossilsim and tern.rbmi

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 1y agotern.rbmiVignette built only under gcc
  2. 1y agotern.rbmiV8 added to Suggests
  3. 1y agotern.rbmiCRAN resubmission with dependency and workflow updates
  4. 2y agofossilsimCompatibility bump for FossilSimShiny 1.1.2
  5. 3y agotern.rbmiAutomated release commit for 0.1.1
  6. 4y agotern.rbmiDevelopment version bump to 0.1.0.9004
  7. 4y agofossilsimBug fixes and documentation cleanup
  8. 4y agotern.rbmiCI automation commit, no release content
  9. 4y agofossilsimTrait simulation arrives: Mk, BM and OU models
  10. 5y agofossilsimOccurrence handling for the occurrence birth-death model

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between fossilsim and tern.rbmi?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. fossilsim and tern.rbmi 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 tern.rbmi?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. fossilsim and tern.rbmi 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 tern.rbmi?

Top tern.rbmi alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "tern.rbmi alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tern-rbmi for the full list with editorial commentary on each.