Jupiter certainly seems to have played a vital role as to where Earth ended up and continuing to protect us from dangerous neighbors. Maybe there aren’t so many Class M planets after all.
The late TVF claimed that Jupiter would clear the solar system of debris from his hypothesized exploding planets in about 10 million years. The truth is, Earth isn't protected at all, other than by sheer distances. And a rock about a mile across (and probably smaller) would end civilization and kill off more than 90% of the human race.. Also, large bodies (Jupiter or larger) comprised the bulk of the early exoplanet discoveries, but with the resolution of the newer instruments, the number of smaller planets has risen.