qqman
The Manhattan-plot package for GWAS results, finished and dormant since 2017.
Comparison · Analytics
fossilsim vs timeplyr
A side-by-side editorial comparison of fossilsim and timeplyr — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
fossilsim vs timeplyr: 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 timeplyr?
timeplyr cut everything that wasn't time, then rebuilt intervals as fixed-width vectors.
timeplyr is a time-aware companion to dplyr and data.table, built around a fixed-width time_interval vector class. The 1.0.0 rewrite removed most non-time functions and pushed the C++ layer out into the separate cheapr package, leaving a narrower surface than the 0.8.x line. Releases since have been small: one feature batch in 1.1.1 and a pair of bug fixes in 1.1.2.
fossilsim vs timeplyr: 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.
timeplyr
0.0ANALYTICS
timeplyr cut everything that wasn't time, then rebuilt intervals as fixed-width vectors.
◆ Current state
timeplyr is a time-aware companion to dplyr and data.table, built around a fixed-width time_interval vector class. The 1.0.0 rewrite removed most non-time functions and pushed the C++ layer out into the separate cheapr package, leaving a narrower surface than the 0.8.x line. Releases since have been small: one feature batch in 1.1.1 and a pair of bug fixes in 1.1.2.
◆ Where it's heading
The arc is consolidation, not expansion. Each release since 1.0.0 trims arguments, renames functions toward a single vocabulary (width, timespan, grid), or fixes an interaction with data.table's own rolling functions. The package increasingly acts as a thin time layer over cheapr and data.table rather than carrying its own implementation.
◆ Prediction
Expect continued small releases tracking cheapr and data.table changes rather than new function families; the entries show no in-progress feature work beyond the ggplot2-friendly breakpoint helpers introduced in 1.1.1.
Alternatives to fossilsim and timeplyr
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 timeplyr.
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 timeplyr alternatives →
Recent activity from fossilsim and timeplyr
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4mo agotimeplyrLeap-day and time_complete(.by=) bug fixes
- 10mo agotimeplyrtime_breakpoints added; rolling calcs realigned to data.table
- 1y agotimeplyrFixed-width time intervals; non-time functions removed ⚡
- 1y agotimeplyrtime_intervals on by default; year_month/year_quarter ggplot2 scales
- 2y agotimeplyrRegression fixes after the 0.8.0 refactor
- 2y agotimeplyrC++ layer moved to cheapr; time_interval class introduced
- 2y agofossilsimCompatibility bump for FossilSimShiny 1.1.2
- 4y agofossilsimBug fixes and documentation cleanup
- 4y agofossilsimTrait simulation arrives: Mk, BM and OU models ⚡
- 5y agofossilsimOccurrence handling for the occurrence birth-death model
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fossilsim and timeplyr?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. fossilsim and timeplyr 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 timeplyr?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. fossilsim and timeplyr 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 timeplyr?
Top timeplyr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "timeplyr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/timeplyr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.