ggdemetra
A ggplot2 layer for seasonal adjustment output, filling in one plot type at a time.
Comparison · Analytics
paleobuddy vs tern.mmrm
A side-by-side editorial comparison of paleobuddy and tern.mmrm — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
paleobuddy vs tern.mmrm: at a glance
What is paleobuddy?
paleobuddy can now simulate trait-dependent diversification, not just birth-death.
paleobuddy simulates diversification, fossil records and phylogenetic trees, with rates that can be arbitrary functions of time — its founding idea, implemented through rexp.var() generalizing exponential and Weibull draws. The 1.1.0 release adds state-dependent speciation and extinction simulation at roughly MuHiSSE generality, and lets simulations stop at a target number of extant species instead of conditioning on time.
What is tern.mmrm?
An MMRM tabulation package that has published nothing since its 2024 CRAN releases.
tern.mmrm wraps mixed models for repeated measures into the tern tabulation and plotting layer used by teal clinical modules. The visible history ends with three CRAN releases in mid-to-late 2024; before that the feed carries only automated version bumps from 2022, three of which have just been backfilled into the record. The most recent substantive change adds axis limit arguments to the LS-means plot.
paleobuddy vs tern.mmrm: editorial side-by-side
paleobuddy
0.0ANALYTICS
paleobuddy can now simulate trait-dependent diversification, not just birth-death.
◆ Current state
paleobuddy simulates diversification, fossil records and phylogenetic trees, with rates that can be arbitrary functions of time — its founding idea, implemented through rexp.var() generalizing exponential and Weibull draws. The 1.1.0 release adds state-dependent speciation and extinction simulation at roughly MuHiSSE generality, and lets simulations stop at a target number of extant species instead of conditioning on time.
◆ Where it's heading
Releases track the maintainer's publications rather than a product cadence — 1.0.0 accompanied the MEE manuscript, 1.0.0.1 exists purely as a Zenodo citation anchor, and 1.1.0 is stated as going with a paper on SSE model accuracy for trees including fossil data. That framing sets the direction: the package grows whichever capability the next study needs to test. The stated SSE limits, no quantitative traits and no cladogenetic transitions, mark exactly where that boundary currently sits.
◆ Prediction
Quantitative traits and cladogenetic transitions are named as missing, which makes them the obvious next targets, though on this history the timing will follow a paper rather than a roadmap.
tern.mmrm
0.0ANALYTICS
An MMRM tabulation package that has published nothing since its 2024 CRAN releases.
◆ Current state
tern.mmrm wraps mixed models for repeated measures into the tern tabulation and plotting layer used by teal clinical modules. The visible history ends with three CRAN releases in mid-to-late 2024; before that the feed carries only automated version bumps from 2022, three of which have just been backfilled into the record. The most recent substantive change adds axis limit arguments to the LS-means plot.
◆ Where it's heading
Content per release is thin and largely organisational: a maintainer change, replacing scda with random.cdisc.data in vignettes, and adapting to new {mmrm} versions. The package appears to be in maintenance, tracking its upstream dependency rather than developing independently. The 2022 entries now visible are release-automation commits, not releases in any meaningful sense.
◆ Prediction
Nothing here signals new functionality; the realistic next event is another compatibility release when {mmrm} or {rtables} changes underneath it.
Alternatives to paleobuddy and tern.mmrm
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 paleobuddy or tern.mmrm.
fossilsim
A fossil-record simulator that quietly grew a trait-evolution engine.
tern.rbmi
Reference-based multiple imputation tables, shipping only what CRAN checks demand.
ggmagnify
A single-purpose ggplot2 inset tool, refining the same three arguments.
symengine
An R symbolic-maths binding whose changelog is really the C++ core's release notes.
gtfstools
gtfstools stopped guarding its own object model and started accepting everyone else's.
See all paleobuddy alternatives → · See all tern.mmrm alternatives →
Recent activity from paleobuddy and tern.mmrm
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1y agopaleobuddypaleobuddy 1.1.0 adds SSE trait-dependent simulation ⚡
- 1y agotern.mmrmAxis limits added to the LS-means plot
- 2y agotern.mmrmMaintainer change and scda replaced in vignettes
- 2y agotern.mmrmCRAN 0.3.0 release, mostly workflow housekeeping
- 3y agotern.mmrmAutomated version bump to 0.2.1
- 3y agopaleobuddypaleobuddy 1.0.0.1: Zenodo citation release
- 3y agotern.mmrmPre-release branch merge
- 4y agotern.mmrmCI automation commit, no release content
- 4y agopaleobuddypaleobuddy 1.0.0: first release with time-varying rates
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between paleobuddy and tern.mmrm?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. paleobuddy and tern.mmrm 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 paleobuddy better than tern.mmrm?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. paleobuddy and tern.mmrm 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 paleobuddy?
Top paleobuddy alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "paleobuddy alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/paleobuddy for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to tern.mmrm?
Top tern.mmrm alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "tern.mmrm alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tern-mmrm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.