Technical note: A protein analysis-based method for identifying shahtoosh.

Shahtoosh, the down hair of the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), is a kind of luxury fibre famous for its fineness and softness. Commercial poaching of the animal for its fibre has resulted in a dramatic decline in its population. Microscopic analysis is the most frequently used method for distinguishing shahtoosh, while the PCR-based DNA analysis method is a relatively objective approach.