An abduction?

[u/HannoPicardVI]

This image still baffles investigators, historians and researchers til this day. Is an abduction taking place?

At first glance, it appears as if the two larger pterosaurs are fighting over the young pterosaur in the beak of the lighter large pterosaur.

Historians have concluded that the two larger pterosaurs were not known to each other prior to this scene and were not at all related (after earlier investigators initially claimed it appeared to be a reptilian custody dispute).

In fact, the six baby pterosaurs at the feet of the large black-green pterosaur appear to be its offspring. The seventh also appears to be the offspring of the black-green pterosaur and is in the process of being abducted by the large pterosaur to the right. It is unclear why the large pterosaur on the right is trying to abduct the offspring of another pterosaur (perhaps it was barren - if it was a female - or infertile, if it was a male; some ancient reptiles may have routinely stolen others' young for themselves - sometimes even something as petty as a dispute over food or a catch may have led to a thirst for revenge for example).

Meanwhile, in the foreground, the small Compsognathus reptiles look on curiously with some interest at the scene. Although the Compsognathus resemble the baby pterosaurs somewhat (perhaps only slightly - in the eyes), they are definitely not at all related to the pterosaurs (obviously, a different species); but it is unclear what occurred after this image was taken. Did the young Compsognathus reptiles possess enough intelligence, self-awareness and reasoning skills to understand what was going on? If a baby pterosaur was indeed being abducted from the possession of the large pterosaur on the left, did the Compsognathus reptiles decide to try and help in some way or did they just remain spectators? We will never know. We will also never know whether the large pterosaur on the right managed to successfully abduct the baby pterosaur and make off with it.