Here is an example from stellar evolution: hydrogen fusion at a certain core temperature, then a shorter phase of helium fusion at a higher temperature and brightness, eventually leading to a wildly fluctuating red supergiant, finally running out of stuff to burn and collapsing and/or exploding. The material the old dying star spewed out into the space becomes a seed for new stars to form, and so on.

Apparently Heraclitus/Kant/Hegel (later hijacked by Marx[ists]) each described a general pattern like this at some point as "dialectics", thesis/antithesis/synthesis, negation of negation, quantity->quality, helical change etc., though my knowledge of philosophy is rather rudimentary, so someone more knowledgeable in the history of dialects feel free to chime in.