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Another thing that I observe is the insane amount of land animals that look beautiful.

Compared to sea animals where, I would say, a majority looks quite disgusting or they have some features that are not appealing to the human eye.

Humans have not only forced some animals to extinction but they have probably killed animals that they found less appealing.

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Isn't it just because we have more recent ancestors with them and thus they match our sensibilities better? Bugs similarly look less appealing.

Many predators look cool too. I find it unlikely that we killed all of ugly lions and wolves just because you know, fashion.

My blind guess is fur. We mostly like fur and there is no fur in water.

Sea otters were hunted nearly to extinction for their fur.

The exception that proves the rule?

I never understood this expression until now.

Outside of its context of referring to exceptions in legal and other human-made systems of rules evidencing the existence of a contrary general rule [0], this phrase is mostly just nonsense.

[0] the original sense of Cicero’s “exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis” (“the exception proves the rule in cases not excepted”, e.g., a posting ”entry permitted in daylight hours” implies a rule that entry is prohibited outside of those hours.)

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