Living Rocks of Romania Give Birth to New Trovant Stones, Grow 2 Inches Every 1,000 Years

The living rocks of Romania, also known as "trovants", give birth to new stones like animals, according to a report.

Living Rocks In Romania Give Birth Like Animals

The trovant stones are found in a small village in Romania called Costesti. It is about 50 miles west of the capital Bucharest.

These living rocks start like pebbles and grow two inches every 1,000 years. The trovant stones grow like plant tissue and give "birth" to new stones like an animal, Daily Mail reported.

The stones are composed of a hard stone core, surrounded by sand that forms the shell. They slowly grow in the presence of rainwater because the minerals from the rainwater form a reaction within the stone that builds pressure inside, making it grow and multiply.

They look like blown bubbles made of rock and vary significantly in size. Some are several feet in diameter, while others are small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand. Dr. Mircea Ticleanu at the Geological Institute of Romania told Mail online that they also have different ages; probably some are younger because the old ones can give birth to new ones.

One of the features of the trovants found in Costesti is the presence of "microtrovants", or smaller, spherical tubercles that can be seen on the surface of the big ones. The study noted that there are many smaller, imperfect ones with the tendency to sphericity.

Living stones are not only found in Romania, a study co-authored by Dr. Ticleanu said; they are all over the Carpathian area of Romania. But those found in Costesi are more popular and have large diameters. They are spherical and egg-shaped, and many have twinned complicated shapes.

Are Trovant Stones Really Alive

Trovants or living stones are so popular that they found a place in local folklore, with some claiming that they can grow, walk and give birth to baby trovants. According to How Stuff Works, they have baffled observers since the 18th century, with many suspecting they were dinosaur eggs, plant fossils, or alien pods.

Living rocks are not alive in the scientific sense, Daily Mail reported. However, locals and tourists have described them as "living" because they appear to change with time.

For instance, they can grow and multiply. As mentioned above, trovants can grow up to two inches in 1,000 years. Also, they multiply because they give birth like animals.

However, the cause of trovants' reproduction is likely because the water only affects one side of the rock. That side tends to get bigger and bigger, and the stone can break off from the "parent" rock resulting in the emergence of a bauble. When that happens, many take it like a baby trovant is born.

Living Rocks Are Geological Phenomena

According to Geology In, the trovants of Romania are fantastic geological phenomena. Trovants are a synonym for the German term "Sandsteinkonkretionen," which means Cemented Sand.

They are believed to be a type of sandstone concretion that secrete cement and grow at times like they were alive. They are reportedly identical to the sliding rocks of death valley.

Check out more news and information on Archeology in Science Times.