Pterodactyl Defense

Isn't the Pterodactyl defense also the Sniper? 1...g6 2...Bg7 3...c5

I like the pterodactyl to some extent because of the sharp challenge to the center, but would prefer to bring out c5 before fianchettoing as in the Sicilian defense system - it allows more time for reinforcements. By the way, about the discussion of first learning to bring pawns into the center, it's being completely challenged by AlphaZero at the moment. I looked at the algorithms and the collective pathfinding approach it takes to chess makes it to me the only true chess engine. Others mostly look at maximizing advantage, AlphaZero looks at the shortest path to mate and nothing else. What it finds is that pawns can be discarded at the favor of piece activity and mobility, with distant diagonals towards the king most important rather than center play or piece play. So the traditional center pawns school of chess has had its use, maybe like modernism once had

Well alpha is kinda dead? And you're also eight years late...

and Stockfish NNUE is like 200 elo points stronger than Alpha Zero.